*The list of judges is sorted by the initial letters of their surnames.
Richard Barrett is Professor at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, Netherlands, and an internationally active composer and improvising performer. Known for blending composition and improvisation, he collaborates with many top artists. His long-term projects include the electronic duo FURT (founded with Paul Obermayer in 1986), the larger ensemble fORCH, the contemporary music group ELISION (since 1990), and projects with Evan Parker’s electroacoustic ensemble (since 2003).His major works include CONSTRUCTION (2011, premiered by ELISION) and Life-form (2012, premiered by Arne Deforce). He served as Professor of Composition at Brunel University London (2006–2009) and has held multiple research posts. His works appear on over 25 CDs, including six solo collections and seven albums by FURT.
Sascha Janko Dragićević is a professor at the University of Applied Sciences Berlin. As a composer of electronic and contemporary music, his works have been published by Edition Gravis since 2015. Ensembles such as ELISION, Ensemble Modern, and Collegium Novum Zürich have performed his compositions. His notable works include Ausschlag, Autogamie, and più, released by Neos and EM. Since 2021, he has served as Artistic Director of the Berlin Piano Percussion group. He has also received support from the Berlin Senate, German Music Council, and the German Music Fund.
Joris de Laet is President of the Studio voor Experimentele Muziek (SEM), Belgium, founded in 1974 to explore live performance through studio-based technology. SEM’s performances integrate various art forms including theater, poetry, and light art, alongside works by composers like Karel Goeyvaerts and André Stordeur. He teaches composition and electroacoustic music at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp and is co-founder and vice-chair of the Belgian Federation for Electroacoustic Music (BeFEM). He won the SABAM Electroacoustic Music Prize in 1997 and joined its evaluation board in 2000.
President of the Korean Electro-Acoustic Music Society (KEAMS), OH Yemin is a composer, educator, and researcher. His works span acoustic music, live electronics, audiovisual art, and interactive pieces using sensors and mobile technology. He holds degrees in composition and music technology from Kyung Hee University, University of Hartford, Georgia Southern University, and Louisiana State University. His research has been presented at NIME and SICMF, and his works have been performed at SEAMUS, ICMC, NYCEMF, and in countries such as the U.S., UK, Germany and Netherlands. He is also the founder of the SIENO composers collective and Music Director of KADA.
PARK Changsoo is Artistic Director of The House Concert (Korea), and an internationally active composer and pianist across more than 20 countries. Since the late 1970s, he has pioneered experimental performance and improvisation. A graduate of Seoul Arts High School and Seoul National University, he debuted in 1986 with Chaos. His works often explore time, including 100-Hour Fantasy, Ephphatha, Prepared Piano, and Why Should I? Why Shouldn’t I?. He is also known for live accompaniment to silent films. His "Free Music" concert series has reshaped Korea’s performance culture. He received the Seoul Culture Award (2021) and Presidential Commendation at the Korea Arts Awards (2023).
Dirk Verelst is President of the Belgian arts association SORODHA, a violinist and conductor. He studied under Franz Wigy at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp and later with Henryk Szeryng in Geneva. He specialized in 18th-century music under Sigiswald Kuijken and joined the Baroque ensemble La Petite Bande, with whom he toured globally, performed on radio and TV, and recorded for renowned labels. Prof. Verelst has taught violin and chamber music at the Conservatories of Antwerp and Maastricht. Since 1991, he has been Director of the International Academy of Arts, and since 2003, Artistic Director and Dean of Love²Arts. He has conducted concerts, live broadcasts, and DVD recordings in collaboration with the Lakatos Ensemble.
Wu Jixue is Professor and Head of the Composition Department at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he also serves as doctoral supervisor. He studied at the Yanbian University Art College, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and the Leipzig University of Music and Theatre in Germany, under professors including Jin Yifeng, Jin Zheng, Quan Jihao, Yin Mingwu, Zhao Guang, Zhao Xiaosheng, Martin Christoph Redel, Peter Herrmann, and Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf. He holds Germany's highest-level composition diploma (doctorate). Wu has won over ten domestic and international composition awards and been selected for national and municipal major arts projects. Major works include Monologue, Winter, Distant Bells, Origin II, and Autumn · Tree · Shadow.
Holding a PhD in Composition from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and a postdoctoral degree in Art Studies from Nanjing University of the Arts, Prof. XU Zhibin is currently Professor and Head of Composition at the Nanjing University of the Arts School of Music. He is also a member of expert panels for the China International Chorus Festival and the Jiangsu Musicians Association. His major works include the symphonic fantasy King’s Cauldron, the orchestral piece Miao Miao, the orchestral theatre Kumārajīva, and the musical Red Boat Memories. His works have been performed at major festivals including the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival and the China-ASEAN Music Festival.
YOON Ilsang is a renowned Korean pop composer and producer with a 30-year career in the K-POP industry. His hit songs include Lee Eun-mi’s In Love, Kim Bum-soo’s Missing You, Kim Gun-mo’s Flying Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Sechs Kies’ Couple. He has also collaborated with classical-pop crossover artists like Jo Su-mi on I’m A Korean.
His music for Sin City 4 and commemorative work Please for the Sewol Ferry tragedy reflect his versatility and social consciousness. He received the SBS Best Composer Award and is currently producing the 5th-generation girl group “Wudangtang Girls.” YOON continues to innovate and expand the expressive potential of Korean popular music.