culture

The National Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 80th founding anniversary with splendour on August 8.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un sent a letter of warm congratulations to all the creative workers and artistes of the symphony orchestra on its significant founding anniversary and visited the Moranbong Theatre to have a photo session with them.

State commendations were also awarded to the meritorious creative workers and artistes of the orchestra.

The National Symphony Orchestra is the first orchestra of new Korea which declared its birth with the playing of "Song of General Kim Il Sung" and which has made the brilliant history with the country.

On the day when the National Symphony Orchestra was organized in August 1946, President Kim Il Sung said in his historic speech, “Musicians Should Make an Active Contribution to Building a New, Democratic Korea” that our music should accord with the sentiments and emotions of our people and with their revolutionary aspirations for building a new country; it should be a really people-oriented and revolutionary music that reflects the joy, pleasure, pride, self-confidence and revolutionary enthusiasm of our people who have achieved national liberation and risen up to create a new life.

True to the instructions of the President, the creators and artistes of the orchestra have enriched the treasure house of the Juche-based musical art, representing the thoughts and will of all the people and the pulse of the times advancing to civilization and prosperity over the past 80 years as monumental orchestral music, symphonic suites and symphonic medleys.

Chairman Kim Jong Il organized a Korean-style orchestra of three-wind instrumentation to create and develop Juche-oriented symphony and put his heart and soul into ensuring that the National Symphony Orchestra grew as an authoritative orchestra.

Therefore, the creators and artistes of the orchestra encouraged the people who turned out for the campaign to defend socialism with revolutionary music in the 1990s when the whole country was compelled to experience extreme difficulties.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un has so far led the work of the National Symphony Orchestra step by step since he had visited the newly renovated Moranbong Theatre for the first time 20 years ago.

Once he said that as it is a true representative of the state, the National Symphony Orchestra should not depend on its past dignity but demonstrate its presence with real ability, calling on all the creative workers and artistes to open up a new period of efflorescence of Juche-oriented art with high ability and artistic skills.

In the past 10-odd years alone, the orchestra staged dozens of national performances, gave more than 1 100 concerts and created over 260 instrumental music pieces of various forms including orchestral prelude for piano "Glory to the Workers' Party of Korea", orchestral music "Song of Comradeship" and string ensemble "Song about the Motherland", contributing to adding glory to the new era of comprehensive national rejuvenation.

The general title of the works portrayed and put on stage over the past 80 years by the National Symphony Orchestra, which has cultivated the flower garden of Juche-oriented musical art, enthusiastically singing revolutionary songs and other musical works as a march for struggle and creation in the development course of the DPRK, can be called Symphony of Socialism.

It is a source of great pride of the country and people to have such an art group with an excellent history and tradition and high creative ability as the National Symphony Orchestra.