Preliminaries
Aug. 29
2025
Semi-finals / Finals
Aug. 30
Aug. 31
2025
Venue
Merkin Hall of Kaufman Music Center
129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023
Mission
The New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD) “International Chinese Vocal Competition” is one in a series of international cultural and arts events hosted by NTD Television. The aim of this competition is to promote traditional vocal arts of pure authenticity, pure goodness, and pure beauty, and provide a world arena for all Chinese vocalists to showcase their talents.
Organizer
The Competition will be hosted by NTD Television. The final round of the Competition will be broadcast through live stream video on NTD’s social media platforms. It will also be broadcast on NTD’s TV network.
Panel of Judges
The 2025 NTD International Chinese Vocal Competition has specially invited vocalists with the world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts to serve on its panel of judges.
Min Jiang
Soprano
Min Jiang has had a flourishing career that began at age 17, when she was selected to perform professionally as a featured soloist with the Heilongjiang Province Arts Troupe. She has received coaching in both Chinese folk singing and Western vocal methods from many accomplished voice teachers, and has been an adjudicator for the New Tang Dynasty Television International Chinese Vocal Competitions since their inception in 2007. Since joining Shen Yun Performing Arts in 2006, she has given over 1,000 performances on many of the world’s great stages.
Haolan Geng
Soprano
Known for her formidable and emotive voice, Haolan Geng won the gold medal at the First Music Competition of the Guangdong Arts Festival in 2007. A graduate of the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music, her 2008 graduation recital earned her critical acclaim. She later went on to star in the Guangdong Opera Company, and gained international attention in 2009 upon winning first prize in New Tang Dynasty Television’s International Chinese Vocal Competition. Also since 2009, she has been a soprano with Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Gu Yun
Tenor
Before becoming a soloist, Gu Yun graduated from China’s prestigious Beijing Academy of Dance and went on to win multiple national-level dance competitions in China. After joining Shen Yun as a principal dancer in 2009, Gu Yun also dedicated himself to dance choreography and instruction before finally turning to his passion of singing. He pursued the study of voice with Fei Tian College professor D.F. in New York. In 2018, he won first place at NTD International Chinese Vocal Competition.
Tian Li
Soprano
Tian Li began studying voice at age 7 before attending China’s Shenyang Conservatory of Music. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she then also pursued her master’s degree at the Conservatory. Tian Li has won awards at many vocal competitions. After auditioning into Shen Yun Performing Arts, she furthered her study of voice with D.F., professor at Fei Tian College, in the United States.
Gao Liang
Tenor
Gao Liang earned his master’s degree in vocal performance at the prestigious Gnessin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. He is the winner of multiple international singing competitions in Europe. Before joining Shen Yun, he starred as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Rodolfo in Puccini’s La bohème, and Nemorino in Donizetti’s L'elisir d'amore, among many other principal roles.
Registration
1. Deadline
The registration deadline is July 30, 2025.
All application materials must be submitted to the competition organizing committee before the deadline. Late or
incomplete applications will not be accepted by the committee.
For contestants who wish to change their competition repertoire, the deadline is August
15, 2025(North America Region only).
2. Methods of Registration
Method for Asia-Pacific Region and European Region Registration
- Online: https://reg.ntd.com
Updated Process (Video Submission Round): Video Entry (Initial Evaluation)
Due to the cancellation of the preliminary rounds in Germany and Taiwan, contestants may now submit video recordings for jury review. Successful applicants will be invited to participate in the live semifinal in New York beginning August 29, 2025.
● Video submission deadline: July 30, 2025
● Format: MP4 or MOV, horizontal orientation, high-definition video, clear audio. Live piano accompaniment is strongly recommended. Avoid karaoke-style or digital backing tracks.
● Repertoire: Two songs Chinese art song + Western aria). See "Rules" for details.
● Submission method:
The contestant uploads their video to a platform such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or WeTransfer to get a shareable video link (make sure the video is viewable), then completes the registration form on reg.ntd.com website with the link.
- Email: vocal@ntd.com
- Hotline / WhatsApp: 886-2-26570809#1121 (Asia-Pacific Region)+49-173-9827-021(European Region)
- Registration fee: US Dollar $120
- Video evaluation results will be sent out starting mid-July. Selected contestants will receive accommodation and meals during their stay in New York for the final.
Method for North America Region Registration
- Online: https://reg.ntd.com
- Email: vocal@ntd.com
- Hotline: +1 855-561-0888
- Registration fee: US Dollar $120
- Accepted forms of payment include online payment, credit card, traveler’s check, or money orders.
Please make your check payable to NEW TANG DYNASTY, and write “VocalCompetition” on the check.
- Mail: 229 W. 28th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001, U.S.A.
Attention: NTD Television International Chinese Vocal Competition
3. Personal Information
- Each applicant must provide two 1" × 1" color photos (digital photos preferred) and a copy of a valid ID.
- The applicant should submit a recent recording(s) of his/her recital (5 minutes minimum) in the format of audio (CD or MP3) or video (DVD or viewable online video link). NTSC DVD is preferred. The applicant’s information should be clearly marked on the cover of the disk. No subtitles or logos that reveal any information about the applicant may be displayed in the video. Otherwise, the submission will be invalid. If the applicant has difficulty in fulfilling this request, please contact the Competition’s Organizing Committee.
4. Registration Fee Explanation
1) Nonrefundable registration fee. Applications cannot be processed without payment.
2) Under normal circumstances, the applicant's registration becomes valid only after paying the registration fee. For applicants who cannot prepay the registration fee due to particular difficulties, they are required to submit a formal written request to delay the payment of the registration fee until the time of Competition. There will be a US$20 surcharge for such case.
5. Registered express mail charges
For contestants who need an original (paper format) invitation letter for visa application, an additional US $50 fee is required for USPS Priority Mail Express International shipping. Please check this option on the Registration Form.
6. New Tang Dynasty Television is indemnified from any legal responsibility for any contestant who enters the U.S. with a visa for this Competition but does not appear at the Competition.
7. FAQ
Q: Can I still apply after the Germany and Taiwan preliminaries are canceled?
A: Yes. Video submissions are now accepted in place of in-person preliminaries. Successful applicants will be invited directly to the live semifinal in New York.
Q: What are the video requirements?
A: MP4 or MOV format, horizontal orientation, clear video and audio. Live piano accompaniment is strongly recommended. Please avoid using microphones, amplifiers, or other electronic sound enhancement devices. See application page for details.
Q: What is the video submission deadline?
A: The same as the New York application deadline: July 30, 2025.
Q: Is the registration fee the same for video submissions?
A: Yes, the fee is the same as for the New York regional applicants. Please see the registration form for details.
Q: When will I hear back after submitting my video?
A: Notifications will be sent starting in mid-July. Please check your email regularly.
Awards
Male division: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze;
Female division: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze;
Honorable Mention Awards will also be presented to exemplary contestants.
Gold
AwardUS$10,000
Silver
AwardUS$3,000
Bronze
AwardUS$1,000
Note: According to U.S. tax regulations, if the prize winner is a foreign individual (nonresident alien or foreign entity), up to 30% of the prize winnings are subject to tax withhold. It is the contestant’s personal responsibility to file tax returns and obtain tax refunds.
