The 5th China International Vocal Competition opened on Oct 9 in Ningbo City, China. Eighty-six contestants from 24 countries and nations will be competing for honors through various musical performances, including solo songs in western classics, art songs, opera arias, and even Chinese art songs. This year’s competition started with the Italian opera, Turandot.
The competition, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the PRC, is one of three major musical competitions in China (the other two are the China International Violin Competition and the China International Piano Competition). The competition is held every three years and is the only national art competition hosted in Ningbo City.
The opening of the competition came with the Italian Opera Turanto, a household name in western countries. Being an opera which tells a Chinese story through a mainstream art form in western culture, Turanto serves as a gateway connecting Chinese opera and the world. It bridges the gap between eastern and western culture. Thanks to Central Theater’s frequent performances in China since the 1990s, the opera is now known by many Chinese viewers. Princess Turanto, played often by westerners, has finally returned to her motherland of China.
Since the release of The Charter of the 5th China International Vocal Competition last year, more than 400 candidates have signed up for the competition, doubling the number from last year. After the Organizing Committee ran a preliminary selection based on the application material, 86 people received a ticket to the real competition. Among those who have been accepted as official contestants, 32 were Chinese and 54 were from overseas. There are 45 soprano singers, eight Mezzo-Soprano, 17 tenors, 8 baritones, five bass and 3 falsettos.
As always, the jury for The 5th China International Vocal Competition is selected based on expertise and fairness of judgment. There are 11 judges in this year’s competition: three Chinese judges and eight international judges from the Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Italy and France.
A highlight of this year’s competition lies in a mix of Chinese and Western songs. The process consists of a preliminary round, a semi-final, and a final. There will be four prizes for Male Group, four prizes for Female Group and two prizes for Best Performance of Chinese Art Songs (one of which will be awarded to a non-Chinese contestant). There will also be one prize for best young piano accompanist, who will receive an honorary diploma and 1,000 USD as an award. The bonuses range from 1,000 USD to 20,000 USD, the highest in the competition’s history.
During the competition, contestants will not only perform solo songs from western classics, but also art songs, opera arias, and even Chinese art songs. Contestants have to pick a song and sing it in Chinese from the list provided by the Organizing Committee. On the list are 10 Chinese art songs including As I live at the Source of the Yangtze River, The Same Song, At a Place Faraway, and Longing for the Native Land. Every song is a symbol of its distinctive geographical origin.
Translated by Zhu Yifan
Editor: Wen Yi
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