The Eighth International Piano Competition hosted by media company New Tang Dynasty Television will take place from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5 in New York City this year, continuing almost 20 years of paying tribute to European classical music and traditional Chinese compositions embodying goodness, beauty, and authenticity.
‘The Power of Traditional Music’
Professor Becky Yao, esteemed pianist and professor of music at Fei Tian University in New York, returns as chair of the judging panel for the 2026 competition. Yao explained to The Epoch Times the compositions chosen for the competition do more than merely entertain, the pieces provide hope as well. “The classical piano pieces selected by NTDTV for the competition are the most classic and popular pieces that have stood the test of time and been verified by generations of performers,“ she shared. ”They are also the most righteous, inspiring, truly beautiful, traditional, and pure music. In other words, this music embodies a spiritual realm of reverence for the divine.”
Yao believes in the power of music and its ability to comfort and inspire, especially during times of uncertainty. She recalled a time when she experienced music’s transcendent nature firsthand, during the infamous blackout in New York City in 1965. She shared that as the area was enveloped in darkness and the destructive sounds of looters and vandals, residents became terrified, including a young girl living on Broadway who studied music. Her mother suggested music as a method for relief. Yao shared that the mother said, “Don’t be afraid, God is with us. Just play the piano.”
The girl began playing a rented Steinway piano in her apartment, letting the notes fill the darkness and triumph over outside noise. Classical melodies could be heard throughout the apartment complex until the power was restored the following early morning. When the young musician left her apartment that day, she found cards around her front door. Neighbors had left notes thanking her for comforting them with beautiful music through the blackout.
“This is the power of traditional music,” Yao explained. “It can comfort and encourage people when disaster strikes, giving them the courage to wait for dawn.”
Artists have long understood that music has the power to unite and comfort people through the art of melody. During the Romantic movement of the 1800s, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Music is the universal language of mankind.”
And long before Longfellow, during Plato’s lifetime between 428 B.C. to 348 B.C., the Western philosopher suggested that music can connect with people at their deepest level. In “The Republic,” he wrote:
“Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace, and making the soul of him who is rightly educated graceful.”
Many classical composers viewed their own creations as virtuous attempts to connect with and honor the divine.
Some of Johann Sebastian Bach’s works are included in the competition’s repertoire. The German composer signed his compositions with the initials “S.D.G,” to stand for the Latin phrase “Soli Deo Gloria,” or “To God alone, the glory.”
The NTD competition is a one-of-a-kind event featuring a blend of two styles—both the European classical movement and Chinese traditional music—in pursuit of goodness and truth, divine enlightenment, and harmony.
Yao said she looks forward to, once again, being a part of such a unique showcase.
A Supportive Environment
Past winners of the NTD International Piano Competition include 2022 gold-winning finalist Antonii Baryshevskyi from Ukraine. He’s a globe-trotting pianist performing throughout Europe. He is also a soloist with the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. The most recent winner, Germany’s Robert Neumann in 2024, is a popular performer at revered music festivals worldwide and was the recipient of the International Classical Music Discovery Award in 2017.
Yao remarked that the competition is often a launching point for artists to grow their careers and participate in more opportunities after the show concludes.
“Through seven competitions, NTDTV has consistently adhered to its original mission, improving with each iteration, and the pianists’ skill levels have risen year by year. We have received very positive feedback, with many contestants making significant strides in their careers and achieving greater success after participating in the NTDTV competition,” she said.
“The NTDTV competition has become a precious memory for the contestants, and they increasingly recognize the competition’s mission to promote traditional music.”
Yao recommends people from all countries and various backgrounds—pianists, teachers, and students—enter the competition. “I’m really looking forward to this competition,” she said. “I hope everyone will work together to inherit and promote traditional music and spread hope!”
