Department of Cultural Affairs

Organized by the Taipei City Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Taipei Music Center, the original music competition Taipei Music NonStop continues to open doors for emerging talent overseas.

This year’s Gold and Silver Award winners, Liang-Chord and DrunkMonk, will perform on October 18 and 19 at Zandari Festa in Hongdae, Seoul, marking a major milestone in bringing Taipei’s music to the international stage.

Now in its eleventh year, the program has expanded significantly. This year, eligibility criteria were adjusted for the first time to focus on musicians who have yet to release a full album or hold solo concerts with audiences of more than 1000 people. International jurors were also invited for the first time to broaden the scope and perspective of the selection process. A total of 352 applications were received, with 340 passing initial review, setting a new record.

Dalse Yoon-Young Kong, founder of Zandari Festa, served as juror during the preliminary and semi-final rounds and was impressed by the two bands’ live performances. He later attended TRENDY TAIPEI’s Taipei Music Expo (TMEX) and the JAM JAM ASIA stage series, where he once again saw the winners’ performances and decided to invite them to Zandari Festa. As Asia’s first showcase music festival, Zandari Festa centers on live venues in Seoul’s Hongdae district and focuses on creative output and the energy of live performances. It is widely recognized as one of the most influential music exchange platforms in the world. Each year, international festival programmers, agents, and record labels gather there to discover new talent and explore industry collaboration, making it a vital gateway to the global market.

Since its inception, Taipei Music NonStop has been dedicated to creating performance and development opportunities for emerging musicians, and offering promising new artists a platform where they can fully express their creative energy while building visibility and recognition. This year marks the first time international jurors have joined the selection panel. Their participation enables rising artists at the very beginning of their careers to view their work through a global lens and better understand their position and potential within the broader international music landscape. Through real world overseas performances, musicians can sharpen their live performances and gain professional experience through direct engagement with international industry professionals, laying a solid foundation for their future careers. 

Having the Gold and Silver Award winners, Liang-Chord and DrunkMonk, perform at Zandari Festa makes the program’s international impact especially tangible this year. Their appearance also demonstrates the sustained global outreach achieved through the joint efforts of the Taipei City Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Taipei Music Center in organizing and advancing Taipei Music NonStop.