TORONTO — Aug. 28, 2019 —The International Music Software Trade Association (IMSTA) today announced that 20-year-old Lee Byung Wook of Seoul, South Korea, has won the 2018 Songwriting Competition hosted by IMSTA, which holds music technology celebrations in cities around the world. Lee first won the Seoul regional finals of the 2018 edition of the IMSTA Songwriting Competition at IMSTA FESTA Seoul and then beat out regional finalists from cities including Los Angeles, Berlin, Chicago, Toronto, New York, and Miami to win the 2018 IMSTA Songwriting Competition and an all-expense-paid trip to Santorini, Greece, to be part of a songwriting camp at the prestigious Black Rock Studios.
"The quality of the songs reviewed during this year's competition was exceptional, and we were impressed by the diversity of genres represented and by the increased presence of women songwriters," said Ray Williams, managing director at IMSTA. "In the end, Lee's song was undoubtedly the most remarkable. The young man's talent is just tremendous. His song and the ease with which he played around with equipment during the Seoul show made it clear that he has put countless hours and immense passion into his craft."
Lee came into the competition as a relative unknown and early on went up against older, more experienced K-pop songwriters from Korea who are already getting their work placed. He delivered a contest entry that outshone every other song at the regional competition in Seoul and later found similar success in the final round of judging. With his song, he demonstrated a mastery of Western pop and his talent working with recording and mixing technologies. Since winning the competition, Lee has been picked up by a Seoul-based production group, becoming a professional member of the field.
"We're proud to shine a light on songwriters from around the globe — even in what some consider out-of-the-way places that might not seem like a source for truly great music," added Williams. "Lee is an example of how our events can help to bring talent into the spotlight, and we can't wait to see where he'll go from here."
Black Rock will be among the first stops along Lee's future path. A combination luxury villa and world-class recording studio, Black Rock has hosted numerous chart-topping songwriters, artists, and producers. Over the course of four days, Lee will join other songwriters from different cities and countries to write four songs. He'll have the opportunity to make industry connections spanning the globe and to carry on international collaboration following the songwriting camp.
Right now, Lee's work can be heard here.
Further information about IMSTA, IMSTA FESTA, and the IMSTA FESTA Songwriting Contest is available at www.imsta.org.
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About IMSTA
A global nonprofit association of music software companies, IMSTA is dedicated to conducting public education about piracy in the music software space. IMSTA exposes the public to the industry and to the organization's "Buy the Software You Use" slogan through initiatives and events, including its popular IMSTA FESTA music technology events across North America.
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Link to Word Doc:www.wallstcom.com/IMSTA/190828IMSTA.docx
Photo Links:www.wallstcom.com/IMSTA/IMSTA-Lee_Byung_Wook.jpg
Description of Photos: Ray Williams from IMSTA (Left), Lee Byung Wook (Center), and Junghwa Lee, President of Gearlounge (Right)
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