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2024 The 7th NTD International Piano Competition Winners

The 7th NTD International Piano Competition (NIPC) is held at Kaufman Music Center in New York from Oct. 14 to Oct. 19. Pianists from Europe, Asia, and America meet in a united calling to revive the glory of classical music. Ten made it to the semi-finals, and Five advanced as finalists.
  Name
Gold Award Robert Neumann (Germany)
Silver Award Shih-Yeh Lu (Taiwan)
Bronze Award Tang Hsing Lien (Taiwan)
Best Rendition Award of The Commissioned Composition Robert Neumann (Germany)
Shih-Yeh Lu (Taiwan)
Outstanding Performance Award Jean-Luc Therrien (Canada)
Ching-Yi Lin (Taiwan)
Honorable Mention Award Karen Yoshida (Canada)
Takeshi Shimozato (Japan)
Yun-Hsuan Shannon Chiang (Taiwan)
Boris Krivoshein (Russia)
Wei Wu (Taiwan)
   

2024 Winners

‘Holy Grace’: NTD International Piano Competition Conveys Hope in Troubled Times

On Aug. 19, dozens of pianists around the world received for the first time the piano score for “Holy Grace,” a work that will premiere in October during the 2024 NTD International Piano Competition in New York City.

Shen Yun composer and pianist Qin Yuan arranged the commissioned piece for the 6th NTD International Piano Competition. (Courtesy of Qin Yuan)

Fans of the competition series may remember that each competition year, a unique new work—featuring a blend of Eastern and Western classical music—is commissioned and premiered. But this year’s piece is different. “Holy Grace,” a symphonic poem, is classical Chinese music for the piano.

Qin Yuan, an expert in transcribing ancient Chinese music for the piano, arranged “Holy Grace” from a melody authored by D.F., the artistic director of world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Qin shared with The Epoch Times details of the process, including pivotal moments in the score, the works that inspired her, and her vision for the piece. Much of this will not be revealed until the competition takes place in New York City on Oct. 14 through 19 so as to not spoil the experience for pianists who will endeavor to play the piece, but what is clear is that there is much to discover and much to be gained.

At first glance, the score may look deceptively simple. In fact, several passages are, on a technical level, easy to play.

But soon enough, it becomes evident that the challenge of this piece lies not in the keyboard work, but in the pianist’s artistry. As all musicians know, just because you’ve hit the right notes, it doesn’t mean you’ve found the right sound.

In writing the piece, Qin utilized the entire range of the versatile piano, and each pianist will have to dig deep into their imagination and expression to bring out all of the tone colors and emotions in an interpretation closest to the composer’s vision and style.

‘Holy Grace’

A symphonic poem, also called a tone poem, is a one-movement musical form created in the late 19th century that bridges the space between music, fine arts, poetry, literature, and drama; and the works that inspired Qin included classical Chinese poems and Ming Dynasty landscape brush paintings. She has been a pianist with Shen Yun since 2017 and is immersed in the traditional Chinese culture that this New York-based company has taken as its mission to revive.

But the themes and ideas in “Holy Grace” are entirely universal.

“The prime thing this piece conveys is the Creator’s love for humanity,” Qin said in Chinese. “It should leave the performer and the listener with a sense of beauty and gratitude.”

How does one begin to explain God’s love?

Sometimes, it’s evident through joy, Qin said, but it’s also evident in suffering.

“In this chaotic world full of wars and disasters and illness, it’s clear a lot of things are out of our control,” she said. But even in the darkest of storms, we hold on when we see the light of hope—that’s faith, and but one way in which God’s love for humanity manifests, Qin said.

When one prays, hopes, and reflects, sometimes an answer just appears—this is yet another way that we can sense God watching over humanity with endless compassion, she said. No matter where we are or what we’ve done, “as long as you have the heart to find the truth, there is always a response,” Qin said.

“Whether good times or bad, people are never perfect. But when we repent and have the willingness to correct our mistakes, in these moments we can feel God’s love—as forgiveness, as guidance, and even the absolution of sin,” she said. “If even in the midst of suffering we can keep our compassion, have a heart of gratitude and humility and kindness, we find the path forward.”

God reaches out to us in different ways, if we are only willing to listen, Qin said, and when we do, the response is clear and inspiring.

“My starting point was to bring the pianist and listener a beautiful sonic experience,” she said. “In life, there are tribulations, and there is human vice, but behind everything in life is the compassion of the Creator.”

“I hope the pianists can have a pure mind and heart when performing it.”

Read More

BEST MOMENTS OF 2024 NTD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

LIVE Oct. 19, Winners Concert and Awards Ceremony

LIVE Oct. 18, Finals

LIVE: Oct. 17, Semifinals

About Us

Mission

The New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD Television) “International Piano Competition” is one in a series of international cultural and arts events sponsored by NTD Television. The mission of this competition is to promote traditional arts of pure authenticity, pure goodness, and pure beauty, bring back the glory of piano masterpieces from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods.

The competition’s commitment to artistic excellence is a means to allow the 250-year legacy of piano literature to continue to flourish. We believe this repertoire is a treasure of mankind and should be passed onto future generations to come.

Organizer

The competition was established in 2008 by NTD Television. As the largest Chinese media group outside of the mainland, we disseminate traditional culture to audiences around the world through television, newspapers, magazines, websites and social media. Semifinal and Final of the competition will be broadcasted through live stream video on the Internet. The recording of the competition will be edited into a TV special to broadcast on NTD’s TV network.

Commissioned Composition

It is our great honor to be permitted to select and rearrange one of the vocal pieces composed by world-renowned composer and Artistic Director of Shen Yun Performing Arts – D. F. – to be this competition’s Commissioned Composition. Pianists who make it to the semi-finals will have the opportunity to perform this specially commissioned composition. A “Best Rendition Award of the Commissioned Composition” is established for the competition.

Inheriting the characteristics of the Music of Shen Yun, the Commissioned Composition features the perfect harmony of Eastern and Western classical music. The Western piano serves as a foundation, accentuating the distinct sound of Chinese classical music. The bedrock of soul-stirring melodies from the ancient Middle Kingdom is fully brought to life by a Western instrument, the piano. The perfect harmony of Eastern and Western classical music is what makes the Commissioned Composition unique.

About NTD

New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television is world’s first independent, non-profit Chinese-language TV broadcaster.

Founded in New York City in 2001 by Chinese Americans, NTD has since grown to be the largest Chinese TV network in North America, available via satellite, cable, and over-the-air channels. NTD serves more than 100 million people around the world.

NTD News, our flagship program, strives to provide insightful coverage of China with the highest ethical standards, providing a truthful, uncensored alternative to state-run Chinese media in Chinese and a dozen other languages.

NTD has also gained an international reputation for its multi-faceted educational and entertainment programs. We bring together the finest in both Eastern and Western cultures, and has been a leader in promoting traditional arts and culture.

Beyond our TV programming, NTD organizes and sponsors a range of performances, arts exhibitions, public forums, and outreach programs. NTD is the organizer of a series of Global Competitions, including Classical Chinese Dance, Martial Arts, Oil Painting and Piano Competitions. NTD is the proud sponsor of world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts and Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra.

AWARDS

GOLD: $10,000

SILVER: $6,000

BRONZE: $3,000

BEST RENDITION OF THE COMMISSIONED COMPOSITION: $3,000

Congratulations to all 2024 WINNERS!

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