The marching band of the historical Kyungbock High School in Seoul, founded in 1921, was disbanded in 1979 after a complaint was filed that the trumpet sound coming from the window might be a disturbance for the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, a few meters from the school.

“It was the time when the U.S. President Jimmy Carter was visiting. It was a historical visit,” recalled Kim Hak-myung, 59, one of the former band members.

The school reacted to the anonymous complaint by dissolving the band permanently.

Thirty-five years later, in 2004, former members of the band reunited at the school’s alumni hall.

“One of our graduates donated dozens of instruments, thinking the school still had a marching band. Suddenly we had brand-new instruments piled in front of us. We decided to start playing again,” said Kim, who leads the 50-member Kyungbock Wind Orchestra.

The orchestra is one of the 51 amateur orchestras participating in the first civic orchestra festival in South Korea. Small and large orchestras will come from around the country to play at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. The orchestras, selected through preliminary auditions, are playing at prestigious halls at the center from Oct. 14-19 under the slogan “Orchestra for All.” 

The participating orchestras focus on a diverse range of genres, from classical music, pop music and themes from musicals to Korean folk music. They vary from symphony, chamber string and wind orchestras to single-instrument groups.

The musicians come from diverse backgrounds. Their ages vary, as do their occupations. But they come together once or twice a week to play for the love of music and the sense of fulfillment it gives them.

Harmonics Symphony Orchestra, based in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, is one of the biggest orchestras participating in the festival, with 62 musicians ranging from teenagers to those in their 60s.

Started as a violin ensemble in 2012, it has expanded into a symphonic orchestra. It regularly plays for the underprivileged and offers education programs and instruments for children from poor families.

Most of the orchestras were created in the 21st century, and Gyeonggi Senior Ensemble, a 69-member wind band founded in 1988, is one of the oldest in the country.

Starting as a school alumni ensemble of Gyeonggi High School in Seoul, it now has the oldest member, who’s in his 70s, and the youngest, who’s in his 20s.

Gyeonggi High School has kept up the tradition of the school wind band and graduates have continued to play even after leaving the school. “We are bound by our love for the school and music,” said Kim Do-han, 65, who plays clarinet in the ensemble.

The ensemble, whose membership is now open to everyone, will play at the Sejong Grand Theater, the biggest theater in the arts center on Oct. 17. The ensemble also aspires to spread the joy of music in local communities. It regularly plays at school events and visits schools for children with disabilities and play for them.

“I hope Korea comes to have more orchestras like El Sistema that change many people’s lives through music,” Kim noted. El Sistema is a music program in Venezuela hailed for bringing social transformation by inviting children from crime-ridden, poor neighborhoods to experience the world of music.

“Many school bands are disappearing due to the competitive school life. But it’s something we should continue. The music has the power to bring changes in life and enrich the quality of life regardless of (the musicians’) ages.”

The word “amateur” holds a slightly different meaning for Gam String Orchestra, which holds larger performances than the others. It performed in Taiwan and Japan in September and is expected to play in Milan and at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York next year. It is also planning a trip to Tanzania next year to offer music education to children and adults there. 

“The word ‘amateur’ is used differently in the international music scene. It’s not just used for those playing music as a hobby, but also for former professional musicians who retired or had to leave their career,” said Kim Kyung-myung, who leads Gam String Orchestra. “Those who graduated from Julliard but retired and teach elementary school kids are called amateurs. Those who are not full-time players are amateurs.”

Many civic orchestras in North America and Europe serve as a stage for former professional musicians to continue practicing and maintain a link with the music community, according to Kim.

“I played in the Seoul Symphony, which had 30 years of history. But the team was suddenly disbanded in 2010 and I put a stop to my full-time professional music career,” Kim said.

Kim brought together music students and former professional musicians who don’t hold full-time positions in an orchestra and started a string orchestra. But it also has members who had never played an instrument before.

Having studied in Germany and Austria, Kim works closely with the World Civic Orchestra, a global organization of civic orchestras around the world. The relationship brings them regular opportunities to play outside the country.

Kim stresses the importance of having such amateur orchestras for former musicians.

“It takes so much time and money to raise one good musician. Many musicians involuntarily end their careers because there’s no place to play music. Amateur orchestras can serve as a bridge to get them back into the music world. They can also offer quality music to citizens.”

Kim thinks the Civic Orchestra Festival has gotten off to a good start. It offers long-sought-after opportunities to perform and makes classical music approachable for citizens. She hopes that the festival will continue and that there will be similar festivals in the future, offering former musicians more opportunities to resume playing music.

Civic orchestras will perform during the festival from Oct. 14-19 at various halls and at the outdoor stage of the Sejong Arts Center for the Performing Arts and Gwanghwamun Plaza.

Admission costs 20,000 won for indoor concerts. For more information, call (02) 399-1612.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)