Contemporary Music Society in Seoul (aka. Changakhoe / Korean: 창악회 [tɕʰɑŋɑkwɛ] / Hanja or Chinese: 創樂會) is a nonprofit organization that was founded on April 19, 1958. It promotes contemporary music by hosting concerts, symposiums, workshops, CMSS Composition Competitions, CMSS summer camps for students, and by publishing the works of CMSS members.

CMSS organizes the CMSS FESTIVAL, which includes approximately four regular concerts every year. The society has made international exchange with arts groups and music festivals from various countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, China, and Poland. Since the 2000s, CMSS has expanded its engagement with neighboring countries such as China, Taiwan, and Japan under the title of Eastern Origins. The CMSS Young Composers Competition, which aims to discover and support young composers, has been held every April since 1978.

In 1982, CMSS was awarded the 7th The JoongAng Culture Grand Prize by The JoongAng Ilbo (Central daily news) for its contribution to Korean traditional and contemporary music. In 1988, CMSS received the Sejong Culture Prize from the Ministry of Culture for promoting Korean contemporary music composition.

Today, CMSS has about 350 members, mostly composers. They will all contribute to expanding Korean traditional culture and proposing new directions for Korean contemporary music while actively engaging in exchanges beyond Korea.

Contact:

changakhoe@gmail.com