The Korean Musicians Association of Philadelphia was founded in 1985 by Korean musicians here in Philadelphia, and until this year, 2015, the 31st anniversary of its founding, we have continued to perform concerts in the spring and fall, gathering compatriots and foreigners alike, through the hard work of our past presidents and officers.

When we held our first concert, "Gagok Night," 31 years ago, the late Dr. Shin Tae-min, former vice president of the Kyunghyang Newspaper, wrote in the November 6, 1985 edition of The Chosun Ilbo, "The Philadelphia Korean Music Association's 'Gagok Night' was a cauldron of excitement. The chorus of the 'National Anthem' sung by an audience of 1,000 people accompanied by a 30-piece orchestra was more than a ceremonial event; it was a demonstration of the advanced cultural background of the Korean diaspora to the American society, a demonstration that highlighted the cultural and artistic image of the Korean diaspora, and a cultural event that showed another face of the Korean diaspora. The second concert was held at the Academy of Music, where the orchestra performed Handel's Messiah in Korean, receiving rave reviews from the packed audience. The orchestra has also performed many other great works, including Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Haydn's The Creation. In addition, we performed the opera "Chunhyangjeon" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of immigration, introducing Korea to foreigners in the U.S. We also held "chamber music concerts," "youth music contests," and "children's choir concerts" to help develop children's entertainment, and we are pleased to contribute to the development of music culture and raise Korean pride in the American community. It is also rewarding to see Korean Americans gather together to sing the "National Anthem" and listen to songs from our hometown, fostering love for our country and compatriotism. We are grateful for the encouragement and support of many Korean Americans who attend our concerts and wish for the continued success of the Philadelphia Korean Musicians Association. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to those who have helped the development of the Philadelphia Korean Musicians Association by introducing us through our website.