Sebastian Wang

Sebastian Wang

Title: Percussionist, Director

Affiliation: Washington Samulnori

Location: Washington, DC, USA

Bio

Samulnori deeply shaped Sebastian Wang’s cultural identity and career, beginning with a childhood encounter at a Korean film festival and later intensive training in Korea that led him to become the first American to graduate from K-Arts’ samulnori program. Despite challenges accessing resources, proving his qualifications in the U.S., and building ensembles with enough members, he established the Korean percussion ensemble at the University of Maryland and later founded Washington Samulnori. He emphasizes the importance of mentorship, networking, and collaboration among gugak musicians, both in the U.S. and abroad, and hopes to raise the professional visibility of samulnori so audiences worldwide can recognize high-quality Korean drumming.

Email: samulnori@live.com

---