The Samjiyon Band performs traditional European classical music, instrumental, percussion, and sung pieces, ranging from orchestral to solos.
Multiple foreign observers, including officials from South Korea's Ministry of Unification, expect the two musical groups to be related someway.
[2] The Samjiyon Band was created in January 2009 by Kim Jong Il,[3][1] who had changed his policy toward musical groups since he had a stroke in 2008.
[1] The band was created from musicians of the Merited Women's Instrumental Ensemble of the Mansudae Art Troupe,[3][1] an umbrella organization of North Korean artists.
[1] The Samjiyon Band performs traditional European classical music,[4] instrumental, percussion, and sung pieces,[2] ranging from orchestral to solos.
[1] The band has between 50 and 60 members,[8] "winners of national and international contests and excellent graduates from Pyongyang Kim Won Gyun Conservatory".
[1] In 2018 the leader of the Samjiyon Orchestra that visited South Korea was Hyon Song-wol, another female artist and lead singer of Moranbong Band.
[10] Two months later, the Samjiyon Orchestra performed in Pyongyang together with South Korean musicians in the Spring is Coming concert tour that brought together artists from both countries.
[9] This opinion is shared by multiple observers,[15] including the South Korean Ministry of Unification, and defectors familiar with the cultural circles.