The respected Comrade KIM JONG UN sent a congratulatory letter to the State Symphony Orchestra on its 80th founding anniversary

To the Creators and Artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory letter to the creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra on the 8th on the occasion of its 80th founding anniversary.

The letter reads as follows:

I extend warm congratulations and encouragement, in the name of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, to the creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra who are greeting the 80th founding anniversary with the honour and pride of having shared the brilliant history of our beloved fatherland.

The memories of the history of the State Symphony Orchestra, which has settled in the hearts of the people with the profound Moranbong Theatre and the majestic and distinctive resonance of our-style combined orchestra, are truly unique.

The first orchestra of new Korea, which declared its birth with the performance of “Song of General KIM IL SUNG” on August 8, 1946, powerfully demonstrated the all-people ideological will and strong aspiration to advance towards civilization and prosperity, carrying the pulsating breath and spirit of nation-building, and the traces of the orchestra, which injected vitality and vigour into social development with exemplary masterpieces of the times, are proudly shining in every page of the annals.

On the days when the fatherland underwent stern trials, they firmly held their instruments as weapons of struggle, willingly walked the arduous path, encouraged the revolution, and in the years seething with creation and construction, they loudly sang of the rewarding life of the people cultivating a bright future with love for the socialist fatherland, thus giving great strength to the advance of our cause—the merits of the creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra are by no means light.

From the day of its founding, the creation and creative activities of the orchestra, which produced songs praising our Party and socialism in orchestral music, symphonic suites, and symphonic cycles as monumental masterpieces, constitute a patriotic feat that has recorded the victorious course of our glorious Republic in history with a majestic and fresh resonance.

Sharing the history of the struggle of our people who have accomplished gigantic social transformations under the leadership of the Party, the general title of the works and performances created and shaped by the orchestra over the past 80 years can be proudly called the “Socialist Symphony”.

Our people still vividly remember the activities of the State Symphony Orchestra, which created and shaped masterpieces such as the orchestral works “A Bumper Harvest in Chongsan Plain”, “My Dear Home in My Hometown”, “A Girl on a Swing”, and “Arirang” in the turbulent years when the all-round flowering era of Juche art was unfolding, thereby pioneering a new realm of our-style symphonic music and making known the extraordinary power of music that truly shares its destiny with its fatherland and promotes its revival.

Each and every one of those works can be said to be the language of faith and conscience and the melody of love and passion that can be expressed only with the heart of a true artiste—Korean musicians who take the aesthetic ideas and musical theories of our Party as the sole ideal and signboard of creation, who cherish all the beautiful things of this land and try to sing of them until the last pulse of life.

The figures of the talented conductors and performers of the State Symphony Orchestra, including Comrades Ho Jae Bok, Kim Pyong Hwa and Choe Ki Hyok, who enriched the garden of Juche art with tireless enthusiasm, are deeply engraved in the eyes of our people even now and serve as the noble example of the worthy life of a revolutionary writer and artiste who sang of the motherland all his life.

The noble aspiration and painstaking efforts of the creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra to glorify the excellent history and traditions of the past with innovative achievements can be clearly seen in the fact that they are arranging and shaping famous pieces loved by the people in line with their emotional content and modern aesthetic sense, thereby demonstrating the might of Juche symphonic music in our era of transformation.

In recent years alone, the artistic activities of the orchestra, which created and shaped numerous works with dignity and staged grand celebratory concerts on major anniversaries, sublimating the noble patriotic feelings cherished deep in the hearts of our people and actively promoting spiritual and cultural growth, have left a deep resonance thanks to their unique characteristics and aspects.

The fact that the State Symphony Orchestra always possesses a competent creative guidance force and a highly skilled performers' corps, shapes historic works well, and continuously creates and shapes symphonic music on various themes is an achievement that adds pride to the career of an authoritative orchestra.

I believe this to be the manifestation and result of a truly sincere and devoted attitude and outlook on life—wishing to uphold the Party and fatherland with art without seeking any reward or evaluation, cherishing the heart to share one's life with the stage set up by the fatherland—before professional sense of duty or artistic skill.

The excellent spiritual world, which has steadfastly kept its position without ever changing its heart and steadily written the history of the orchestra with a noble sense of awareness and clear conscience, is incomparably precious.

The State Symphony Orchestra, which has unwaveringly maintained its true nature of being ardent in patriotism and faithful to artistic creation for a full 80 years without the slightest stain, and has carried on the status and honour as a national treasure-level art organization embodying the development of Juche music, is a precious asset of our state and a great pride of our Party and people.

I highly appreciate all the creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra, who have remained unchangedly faithful to the original meaning and inherent mission of its founding even in the passage of time, have received the love and trust of the fatherland and people, and are struggling to safeguard its proud name and tradition with ceaseless pioneering and progress.

Comrades creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra!

Musical art is a powerful driving force for the development of our state yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The principle our Party consistently adheres to in musical creation is to thoroughly embody ideological and artistic quality, the spirit of the times, and the people's character.

The creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra, as always, must accept the Party's literary and art policy as the most absolute, carry out the creation and creative work only according to the Party's intentions, and, united single-heartedly ideologically, volitionally and emotionally, vigorously open a new heyday in the development of musical art in the new era.

Melody has a unique traction power that greatly sublimates human thoughts and feelings and leads to a deep and wide emotional world that cannot be fully expressed with words or writing.

As creators and performers of the State Symphony Orchestra, which is like the face of the country, they must naturally be superior in artistic perspective and skill level and must also raise the banner in creating historic works that can represent our era.

Our Party hopes that you will continuously cultivate the ability to create and shape any work flawlessly and perfectly, and will continue to glorify the authority and name of the most skilled orchestra in our country, an orchestra with tradition and history.

A masterpiece in which the breath of today's era—advancing towards greater transformation, ringing revolutionary songs and passionate music as the march songs of struggle and creation—pulsates high becomes a precious spiritual nourishment.

I firmly believe that all the creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra, never forgetting the trust and expectations of the Party and people even for a moment, will steadily carry forward the glorious development history of Juche symphonic music with high ability and active and enterprising artistic creation activities.

I pay tribute to the proud 80-year history of the State Symphony Orchestra.

KIM JONG UN

August 8, 2026

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

No. 116 August 8, 2026

On Awarding the KIM IL SUNG Prize and the Orders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the Merited Creators and Artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra

The Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversary, awards the Kim Il Sung Prize and the orders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as follows to the merited creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra who, firmly armed with the Party's Juche literary and art ideas and theories, have long worked in the art sector, displayed creative wisdom and passion, excellently created and shaped masterpieces of the era of the Workers' Party, and actively contributed to powerfully inspiring and encouraging the masses to implement the Party's policies through revolutionary art activities.

Kim Il Sung Prize

Ho Mun Yong, Conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra

Order of the National Flag 1st Class

Kang Su Gi, Composer of the State Symphony Orchestra

Order of Labour

An Ryong Hwan, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Pyon Song Ok, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Han Chol, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra

Order of the National Flag 2nd Class

Kim Song Ho, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Ri Chol, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Yun Chol Ho, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Jong Hyon Hui, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra

Order of the National Flag 3rd Class

Pae Ki Yong, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Ri Kyong Gun, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Ri Song Jin, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Kim Hak Il, Composer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Hwang Il Sok, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra
Choe U Chol, Performer of the State Symphony Orchestra

Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Pyongyang

Report Meeting Held to Mark the 80th Founding Anniversary of the State Symphony Orchestra

A report meeting to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the State Symphony Orchestra was held at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre on the 7th.

Comrade Ju Chang Il, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, officials, creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra and various art organizations, and merited persons attended the report meeting.

Comrade Kim Ju Hyok, Director of the State Symphony Orchestra, made a commemorative report.

The reporter said that the entire officials, creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra, who significantly greet the 80th founding anniversary in the stirring period when they are accelerating the vigorous march for implementing the new prospect goals set forth by the 9th Congress of the Party, are fervently recollecting the immortal exploits of the peerless great men devoted to the flowering and development of Juche art.

He mentioned that the proud 80-year history of the symphony orchestra has been a glorious day that clearly demonstrated the originality of the peerless great men's unique idea of attaching importance to music and the correctness and vitality of their leadership, which unfolded a new history of Juche symphonic music.

He said that the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, who saw the inaugural performance of the Central Symphony Orchestra (then) on August 8, 1946, clarified the programmatic guidelines to be held fast to in building the musical art of new Korea, saying that our music should be a popular and revolutionary music meeting the revolutionary aspirations of the people who had turned out for the building of a new fatherland.

He mentioned that the Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il, who always paid deep attention to the work of the symphony orchestra throughout the whole period of his revolutionary leadership, gave valuable teachings on the creation of our-style orchestral music and energetically guided the symphony orchestra to excellently fulfill its honourable mission of leading the development of Juche art.

He said that today, our symphonic music is adorning a new heyday of development under the wise leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

He mentioned that the respected General Secretary, even in the midst of his busy revolutionary leadership, saw the performances of the State Symphony Orchestra on several occasions, expressed his appreciation, set higher creation goals, and placed great trust in the creators and artistes to open a new flowering era of Juche art at the very forefront with their ability and artistic skill.

He stressed that the warm love and benevolence of the respected General Secretary was the nourishment that brightened the lives of the creators and artistes and the motive force that enabled the symphony orchestra to excellently create and shape monumental masterpieces of the times, enrich the treasure house of Juche music, and display the developed appearance of Juche art.

The reporter said that today, before the officials, creators and artistes of the State Symphony Orchestra, there lies the honourable task of bringing about a revolutionary turn in the artistic creation work in keeping with the demands of the era of comprehensive development by upholding the programmatic tasks set forth by the 9th Congress of the Party, and powerfully encouraging the all-people general march for the revival and development of the Republic with the creation of masterpieces.

He mentioned that they will concentrate all their efforts on the creation of musical works to arouse the broad masses to the implementation of the Party's decisions, holding fast to the creation and creative principles clarified by the Party as the absolute standard, and steadfastly carry forward the proud history and tradition of upholding the Party with music.

He said that all creators and performers must deeply realize that artistic skill is life itself and vigorously stir up a fierce wind of ability competition.

The reporter stressed that all creators and artistes, harbouring the desire to demonstrate the symphonic music of socialist Korea to the world, will fulfill their assigned mission and duty in opening a new era of great transformation and a new flowering era of Juche art by creating more monumental masterpieces reflecting the status of a prosperous and powerful country.

(Korean Central News Agency)