Kyung Hee University's Cadenza wins 37th MBC University Song Festival grand prize; 38th edition set for Busan

Kyung Hee University's Cadenza (카덴차) took the grand prize at the 37th MBC University Song Festival in Busan last October. The competition had been dormant for 13 years before its return.

The festival pulled students from 115 universities across Korea and abroad—roughly 2,000 participants total. In their acceptance speech, Cadenza said: "Hunger is not satisfied, but we have no end. Cadenza has no end. Thank you."

A special stage featured the children of the late Shin Hae-chul performing his signature song 그대에게. The event carried historical weight. At the 4th MBC University Song Festival in 1980, band Sharp (샤프) won silver with an original composition about the emptiness felt after a play ends.

The 38th edition runs under the theme 나의 드라마 (My Drama) and returns to Busan. Applications open tomorrow at 12:00 noon and close on the 16th of next month. Any university or graduate student from Korea or abroad can apply. Preliminary rounds happen on the 20th of next month in Busan and the 29th in Seoul. The final stage is October 31 at Pukyong National University.