JAM Student Rie Lara Verdino Reached the Final of Spotlight Beast 2026

JAM MUSIC LAB Private University for Jazz and Popular Music Vienna is proud to celebrate JAM student Rie Lara Verdino, who reached the final of Spotlight Beast 2026 with her band Rië. The live band contest took place on 18 April 2026 at F23 Konzerthalle Saal in Vienna and brought together four selected acts for an evening of original music, strong live performances, and fresh artistic voices.

Performing in the Soul/Funk category, Rië brought a distinctive sound and strong stage presence to the final. For JAM, Rie’s appearance at Spotlight Beast 2026 was a great example of the artistic quality, individuality, and performance strength that JAM students bring to Vienna’s contemporary popular music scene.

The contest was judged by both the audience and a professional jury from the fields of music business, performance, music coaching, and media. This gave the event a strong professional framework and made it an important platform for emerging young artists in Vienna.

The first edition of Spotlight Beast was a successful new event and attracted enthusiastic interest from the audience. With formats like this, young musicians gain valuable stage experience, visibility, and direct contact with the wider live music scene.

Rie’s participation in the final once again shows how closely music studies in Vienna are connected to real performance opportunities, artist development, and the next generation of soul, funk, and contemporary popular music. For JAM MUSIC LAB Private University, it was another strong moment of student visibility on an important stage in Vienna.