2026 Hansamo at Lowell High School Showcase: Korean Traditional Music and Culture

On May 22, Hansamo’s Pungmul team was invited to perform at the Korean Cultural Showcase hosted by the Korean language program at Lowell High School. Held at the Carol Channing Theater on the Lowell campus, the showcase featured a wide variety of performances prepared by students throughout the school year, including skits, a fashion show, Taekwondo demonstrations, orchestra performances, and K-pop dance. Hansamo had the honor of opening the showcase with a pangut performance by its Pungmul team.

The Hansamo students began by introducing each traditional instrument, explaining its meaning, characteristics, and unique sounds before presenting the performance itself. Because the showcase took place on a weekday, not all members of the Pungmul team were able to participate. However, despite the relatively small number of performers, the students delivered a powerful and energetic stage performance, with each member representing the unique role and sound of their instrument.

The performance left a strong impression not only on Lowell High School students, but also on the parents who attended the showcase. Many expressed amazement at the students’ skill and professionalism, sharing that they could clearly see how much effort and practice had gone into the performance.

Lowell High School Korean teachers Doyeong Kim and Eunmi Cho shared that the performance provided students and parents with an opportunity to experience aspects of Korean traditional culture that cannot simply be taught through textbooks or classroom instruction. In particular, they noted that parents who had previously been most familiar with Korean culture through K-pop showed great interest when the Hansamo students introduced the traditional Korean instruments and demonstrated their sounds live on stage.

This showcase was especially meaningful as it marked the first Korean Cultural Showcase hosted by Lowell High School’s Korean language program, making Hansamo’s opening performance even more significant. While Hansamo has previously performed at local cultural festivals and elementary school international cultural events, this was a unique opportunity to support a high school Korean language program by contributing to a showcase centered on students’ Korean language and cultural learning.

The event also marked the beginning of a meaningful exchange between Hansamo and Lowell High School students. Just one week earlier, Lowell students had participated in Hansamo’s annual showcase as guest performers with a K-pop dance performance. In return, Hansamo’s Pungmul team was invited to open Lowell’s first Korean Cultural Showcase with a traditional Korean performance. Together, the two events created a valuable cultural exchange between students while highlighting both the traditional and contemporary sides of Korean culture.