Suwon Metropolitan City Recruits Teams for 'Rising Star Contest'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Metropolitan City is recruiting teams for the 'Rising Star Contest' by August 11 to discover emerging jazz musicians for the stage of the '2026 Suwon Jazz Fringe Festa' to be held in September.

The Rising Star Contest is a competition program designed to discover emerging artists who will showcase their own musical colors based on jazz.

Any emerging musician (individual or team) not currently affiliated with a talent agency can apply. In addition to traditional jazz, crossover performances combining various genres such as funk, soul, Latin, and electronic music are also possible.

Applications will be accepted via email (liply@korea.kr) until August 11. Applicants must submit an application form and an unedited single-take live performance video of five minutes or less filmed within the past year. Support documents and detailed information can be found by searching for 'Jazz Fringe' on the Suwon City website's 'City News' bulletin board.

Four teams that pass the first round video screening will participate in the finals held at 6 p.m. on September 6 at the outdoor stage in front of Hwahwa Hall at Hwaseong Haenggung. Teams advancing to the finals will receive a performance fee of 500,000 won per team.

The final selected 'Rising Star' team will receive a performance fee of 1 million won. They will also be given the opportunity to perform on the official stage of the '2026 Suwon Jazz Festival' to be held from September 18 to 19 at Gwanggyo Lake Park.

Meanwhile, the 2026 Suwon Jazz Fringe Festa will be held for three days from September 4 to 6 in the area around Haenggung-dong, including the outdoor area in front of Hwahwa Hall at Hwaseong Haenggung. A variety of performance programs for citizens and tourists to enjoy together will be presented, including diverse jazz performances and the Rising Star Contest.