BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Foreign participants have been encouraged to enter an upcoming annual international vocal competition as a prize will be awarded for the best performance of a Chinese classical song by a singer whose mother tongue is not Mandarin.
Applications are now open for the 2018 Ningbo International Vocal Competition, scheduled to take place in the east China city of Ningbo from October 15 to 25. The event is organized by the Ningbo municipal government and the Central Conservatory of Music.
Participants will sing both Western or Chinese classical songs. Nine awards will be presented for the four best male and female performances as well as the best performance of a Chinese song by a non-native singer.
Despite not being native speakers of Mandarin, foreign singers in past competitions have demonstrated great talent in interpreting Chinese songs using their professional vocal skills and the emotions they evoke in their performances.
Yu Feng, president of the Central Conservatory of Music, said the judging panel will be led by the conservatory's tenured professor Guo Shuzhen and will include foreign musical professionals from Italy, France, Australia, the United States, Austria, and Finland.
