'Citizens take center stage': First Prugio Art Hall competition concludes

The 2026 First Prugio Art Hall Seoul Amateur Musicians Competition, designed to give amateur musicians the experience of performing on a professional concert stage and to encourage broader public participation in music and the arts, concluded successfully.

The competition was held Saturday at Prugio Art Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul. Open to non-professional amateur musicians, the event featured three categories: vocal performance in general and senior divisions, ensemble singing, and musical theater. The general division was open to participants under 65, while the senior division was for those 65 and older.

Each contestant performed two pieces within a six-minute time limit, with all pieces required to be performed from memory. After completing the first piece in full, the second could be stopped at the judges' discretion. Judging was conducted openly, and awards were withheld in categories where no contestant met the minimum score threshold.

The grand prize was shared across divisions — Jeon Dae-geun and Shin Nan-hyang took the honor in the senior division, while Cho Seung-yeon claimed it in the general division. The gold prize in the general division went jointly to Ahn Hyeon-seon, So Hye-jeong and Lee Hong-bae, and the bronze prize went to Hyeon Ye-ji and Song Hyeon-seop.

The winners are set to perform alongside professional vocalists at the winners' concert during the Fourth Prugio Art Hall Music Festival, scheduled for October.

Prugio Art Hall plans to link the competition with live performance opportunities so that participants can build on their contest achievements through real stage experience, giving amateur musicians ongoing motivation to continue their artistic pursuits. The venue aims to develop the competition beyond a simple awards event into a growth platform for amateur musicians — connecting talent discovery, competition and performance — by tying the winners' concert to the Music Festival, its flagship annual program.

"This competition was conceived to give music-loving citizens the chance to step beyond being mere audience members and become the stars of the stage themselves," said Kim Ju-il, chief executive of Prugio Art Hall. "We plan to give competition winners the opportunity to present their music to the public at the Fourth Prugio Art Hall Music Festival in October."

"Going forward, we will continue linking the competition with live performances and develop the program so that amateur musicians can keep building stage experience and growing, rather than stopping at a one-time competition," Kim added.