The preliminary rounds of New Tang Dynasty Television's (NTDTV) International Chinese Vocal Competition will be held on July 11, 2010, in Taipei, Taiwan. The final will take place in New York from Aug. 20 to Aug. 22.

Sound of Hope Radio (SOH) recently interviewed music professor Wu Ming, who has taught in several Chinese universities.

Wu said he was very moved when he saw the Third International Chinese Vocal Competition in New York in August 2009.

“This competition will act as a platform through which talented singers will emerge. Nowadays society’s morality has degenerated, but it is impossible to truly develop or improve singing skills without morality,” he said.

The professor noted that while vocal skills can reach a very high level through training, one needs to cultivate one’s morality in order to improve further and make breakthroughs.

“Talents are based on skills combined with integrity. The vocal organs are parts of the human body. If one has bad thoughts, how can the body of the person with negative thoughts send out pure and positive energy? Only through the International Chinese Vocal Competition can talented singers emerge,” he said.

Wu explained that classical singing, which is featured in the competition, originated from praising the divine. Initially, people sang in places of worship, and the requirements for their skills and vocal range were very high. These skills were later transferred to opera.

The professor also commented on the significance of using Chinese language in the vocal competition.

“The use of Chinese pronunciation improves the flavor of classical singing,” he noted.

Wu encouraged Chinese singers to participate in the event, which, he believes, upgrades the art of singing.

Registration deadline is June 30, 2010.
U.S. hotline: 1-646-736-2988
E-mail: vocal@globalcompetitions.org

Read the original Chinese article