The importance of tea in the tradition of Korean life led the Society for New Composition in Korean Traditional Music to start to explore composition around the tea ceremony. It has been a spiritual journey.

The first performance of Tea Music was in 1998. There have been eight different projects around tea music, which have seen new productions and new recordings develop over time. Over time, the performance has grown from just music to include dance, and visual arts and of course a tea ceremony. Tea Music is ever-evolving.

While the performance is based on traditional art forms it casts a contemporary eye on these traditions in a quest for the spiritua cleansing that the tea ceremony itself offers. The ceremony is amplified through the art forms that these masters of music, dance and
visual arts practice.

The Society for New Composition in Korean Traditional Music

The Society for New Composition in Korean Traditional Music was founded in 1982 by players in the conformance with Korean traditional concept of composition, by which new music was produced by players in the course of playing.

Since its foundation, the society has been working toward creating new compositions in Korean traditional music through various means such as by holding about 80 premiere performances, publishing music scores of new compositions, etc.

By this time, the society launched many programs for the development and propagation of music in the 21st century and try to make the whole picture of Korean traditional internationally known through close contact with international societies.