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.

Location & Dates

Latest Update
The preliminary rounds originally planned for Taiwan (July 28) and Germany (July 31), 2025, will now be held in the form of video submissions for jury evaluation, instead of in-person events. Selected contestants are invited to participate the live rounds in New York at August 2025.

Region
Preliminary
Semi-Finals and Finals
Asia-Pacific
Time: July 28, 2025
Venue: Taipei, Taiwan
Semi-Final Time: August 30, 2025
Final Time: August 31, 2025
European
Time: July 31, 2025
Venue: Mendelssohn-Remise in Jägerstraße 51, Berlin, Germany
Venue:
Merkin Hall of Kaufman Music Center
129 West 67th Street New York, NY 10023 USA
North America
Time: August 29, 2025
Venue: Merkin Hall of Kaufman Music Center
129 West 67th Street New York, NY 10023 USA
Asia-Pacific Preliminary
Time
July 28, 2025
Venue
Taipei, Taiwan
European Preliminary
Time
July 31, 2025
Venue
Mendelssohn-Remise in Jägerstraße 51, Berlin, Germany
North America Preliminary
Time
August 29, 2025
Venue
Merkin Hall of Kaufman Music Center
129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023
Semi-Finals
Time
August 30, 2025
Venue
Merkin Hall of Kaufman Music Center 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023
Finals
Time
August 31, 2025
Venue
Merkin Hall of Kaufman Music Center
129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023

Qualifications to Enter the Competition

  1. Open to all vocalists of the age between 18 and 50 years old during the time of the Competition. We encourage entry by professional vocal instructors, vocal artists, and students, as well as professional-level enthusiasts.
  2. The contestants who won the gold award in NTD previous vocal competitions cannot compete again.
  3. To qualify for the Competition: After the Organizing Committee reviews all of the application materials, a formal invitation will be sent by email to those who meet the criteria. The contestant may use this invitation to apply for a U.S. visa and to register on the day of the Competition.

Competition Content

  1. The repertoire for the competition includes standard-reperoire Western opera arias, and Chinese classic art songs (that are not political).
  2. The competition will consist of three rounds: Preliminaries, Semi-Finals, and Finals.
  3. Preliminary round: Performance of two songs: one, an aria from a western opera; the other from a Chinese art song
  4. Semi-final round: Performance of two songs: one, an aria from a western opera; the other from a Chinese art song; Must be different from the piece songs in the preliminary round.
  5. Final round: Performance of two songs: one, an aria from a western opera; the other from a Chinese art song.
  6. The Organization Committee shall provide piano accompaniment for contestants. Contestants may also bring their pianist(s).
  7. Applicants are required to submit all the vocal scores, lyrics, and accompanying musical scores to the Organizing Committee with the application materials. If the vocal pieces do not conform to the criteria of the Competition, the applicant will be notified by the Organizing Committee in a timely fashion.

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

  1. 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.
  2. Email: vocal@ntd.com
  3. Hotline / WhatsApp: 886-2-26570809#1121 (Asia-Pacific Region)+49-173-9827-021(European Region)
  4. Registration fee: US Dollar $120
  5. 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

  1. Online: https://reg.ntd.com
  2. Email: vocal@ntd.com
  3. Hotline: +1 855-561-0888
  4. Registration fee: US Dollar $120
  5. 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.
  6. Mail: 229 W. 28th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001, U.S.A.
    Attention: NTD Television International Chinese Vocal Competition

3. Personal Information

  1. Each applicant must provide two 1" × 1" color photos (digital photos preferred) and a copy of a valid ID.
  2. 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
Award
US$10,000
Silver
Award
US$3,000
Bronze
Award
US$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.

Hotels & Transport

  1. The Competition's Organization Committee will recommend hotels to contestants.
  2. Contestants and their entourage shall pay for their own accommodation and transportation.

Miscellaneous

  1. All contestants shall comply with the Rules and Regulations, as well as all the arrangements of the Competition's Organization Committee. The committee reserves the right to revoke violators' eligibility and the prizes awarded in the case of breaches of Competition regulations.
  2. Contestants take full responsibility for any copyright issues related to the music they choose for the Competition.
  3. All winners must personally attend the award ceremony to accept the prize. Cash will not be awarded in lieu of that prize. Failure to attend the ceremony results in forfeiture of the prize.
  4. New Tang Dynasty Television retains all copyright to audio and video products made during the Competition.