International Expert on Korean P'ansori Story-Singing Tradition to Perform March 11

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The distinctive musical and narrative heritage of Korea will come to life on March 11 with a performance of Korean p'ansori by Chan Park, an internationally acclaimed master of the p'ansori story-singing tradition.

P'ansori is a genre of narrative song of Korea, typically performed dramatically by a vocalist, accompanied by a puk, a double-headed barrel drum. In this instance, Park will provide both vocals and drum accompaniment.

The free public performance will take place at 7 p.m. in Trinity Methodist Church, 711 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Amherst.

The event is organized by the University at Buffalo Asian Studies Program in conjunction with its "East Asia for Teachers" seminar, a 10-week program that provides teachers from the Buffalo area with valuable content and materials to help them incorporate East Asia into their curriculum.

It will be funded by the Korea Society, the Five College Center for East Asian Studies, the UB Asian Studies Program and local donors.

Kristin Stapleton, associate professor of history at UB and director of the Asian Studies Program, says "Asian Studies is delighted to be able to bring Dr. Park to Western New York. I have had the pleasure of hearing her perform in the past. She is a wonderful educator as well as an expert performer."

The p'ansori style is thought to have sprung from indigenous shaman chants, but in the 19th century it was injected with Confucian ethics and literary qualities. Today, it serves as a living tradition, bridging the past and the present.

The name of the genre comes from the word p'an ("open space") and sori>/i> ("singing" or "sound"). It refers to markets, public squares and other open venues where performances originally took place.

Park, associate professor of Korean language, literature and performance studies at Ohio State University, has presented many p'ansori performances, lectures, seminars and workshops across the United States and around the world.

Her scholarly research focuses on the performance of p'ansori, particularly in transnational contexts, and on narrative/lyrical traditions in modern Korea.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship university in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.

UB's Asian Studies Program supports teaching, research and community events related to Asia at UB and throughout Western New York. The program offers both a major and a minor in Asian studies, and provides an array of lectures, artistic presentations and seminars that enrich a community of students, scholars and others in the Buffalo area who are energized by Asia.

The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea.