NEW YORK CITY—Organizers of NTD’s 8th International Piano Competition announced on Sept. 3 the twelve semifinalists who will be taking the stage on Friday.
The piano competition is one of many international culture and arts competitions sponsored by the NTD Television Network. The competition focuses on promoting traditional arts by requiring that the more than 20 participating pianists play pieces from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras.
Competition director Lucy Zhou told The Epoch Times, “In these challenging times, we believe classical music can bring positive energy, comfort the soul, and uplift the human spirit, like a beam of light shining through the darkness.”
Each year, a commissioned composition is arranged specially for the NTD competition and is based on a vocal piece composed by the artistic director of Shen Yun Performing Arts, D.F. This year’s composition is named “Divine’s Calling,” and is a symphonic poem that blends Eastern and Western classical music and conveys a sense of the divine.
Semifinalists will compete for the “Best Rendition Award of the Commissioned Composition.”
One of the 12 semifinalists is Khoi Luu from Vietnam. He told reporters that classical music is very important to him.
“I think classical music played a big role in who I am,” he said. “I think I always find something in music that really speaks to me.”
Luu is currently working on his master’s in music at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. He started playing when he was young and learned from his mother, who is also a pianist.
Another semifinalist is Joseph Gallwas, who told The Epoch Times that it’s important to enjoy the experience.
“It’s easy to get in your own head, and with all the preparation, everything that goes on, I think it’s important to just have fun out there and kind of just leave it with no regrets.”
Gallwas is from the Chicagoland area and will be a freshman at Northwestern University in Illinois this fall.
South Korean semifinalist Sohee Bae said that when she plays a piece, she tries to get in the composer’s head.
“What did he think? What did he feel when he composed this piece?” she said. “Like Schumann, I don’t understand his language of love, but at some point I have to play his piece because it’s so beautiful.”
Bae started playing piano at age 6 or 7, when her parents took her to a piano academy. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in musical arts at the University of North Texas. On stage, she says she feels both ecstasy and anxiety.
Zhou invited everyone to watch the competition semifinals and finals on Sept. 4 and 5, respectively.
“We hope their performances will inspire audiences, uplift their spirits, and offer a moment of beauty, hope, and reflection,” she said. “We also hope the competition encourages future generations to appreciate, preserve, and carry forward the timeless traditions of classical music.”
Semifinalists
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Ching-Yi Lin
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Xing-Chi Chen
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Khoi Luu
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Elzbieta Bilicka
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Francis Lien
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Alex Yang
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Joseph Gallwas
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Sohee Bae
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Vitalii Khairutdinov
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Matthew Figel
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Pusheng Wang
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Matias Cuevas
Competition Schedule
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Semifinals: 10:45 a.m. ET, Sept. 4
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Finals: 10:15 a.m. ET, Sept. 5
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Winners’ concert: 5:30 p.m. ET, Sept. 5
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Awards ceremony: 6:30 p.m. ET, Sept. 5
Where to Watch
Websites: NTD.com and EpochTV.com
App: NTD on the App Store and Google Play
Gan Jing World: NTD
YouTube: @ntdtv
Facebook: NTD News
X: @NTD
