Music creators who love original compositions, it’s time to let your talents shine.

The first Futian Cup Original Music Competition has officially kicked off. With a grand prize of up to 30,000 yuan (US$4,185) and a prestigious performance opportunity at the Shenzhen Grand Theater, the competition welcomes emerging music composers worldwide to showcase their talent.

Jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the Futian District Committee of the CPC and the Tianjin Conservatory of Music, the competition is part of an initiative to boost outstanding literary and artistic creations, with a mission to discover original music works that carry distinctive Chinese characteristics.

The judging panel features the renowned tenor Wang Hongwei, alongside heads of composition departments of 11 top music universities across the country.

If you have a passion for original vocal music and dream of showcasing your artistic flair on a grand stage, don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity.

Competition Schedule:

Through Aug. 15: Online submission of entries

Aug. 16- 31: Entry reviews

Sept. 10: Announcement of finalists

Oct. 30: Final entry reviews and unveiling of winning pieces

Oct. 31: "Dialog with Masters" Salon; Award ceremony and concert of winning compositions

Nov. 1: Seminar on winning pieces

Competition Requirements:

Music works should focus on the themes of peace and future; celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Futian District, and embody the spirit of courage, pioneering and hard work;

Style is unrestricted, but should be close to daily life, and easy for the public to sing along;

Entries should be positive and uplifting.

Participant Requirements:

No restrictions on age or nationality.

Participant Categories:

Professional group: Current students and teachers of music and art colleges, and professional music groups;

Non-professional group: Freelance musicians and others.

Requirements for works and pieces:

Performances must be solo singing; vocal style is unrestricted.

Lyrics should be chosen by the composer, align with competition themes, be positive, and contain no illegal, violent, pornographic, or other inappropriate content. Lyrics must be free from any copyright disputes or controversies.

Each work should be between 3 and 6 minutes in length.

Each composer may submit up to 2 works.

All submissions must be original works created since 2012.

Submitted works must not have won awards in any national-level competitions.

Submission Format Requirements:

All submissions must be in PDF format with scores created electronically; Entries must not contain the composer’s name and any marks unrelated to music score. Submissions must include a demo or audio recording in MP3 format; if the work is in a foreign language, a Chinese translation must be provided.

Preliminary Round:

The judging panel will review anonymized submissions by listening to demos/audio recording and reviewing the scores.

Finalists will be announced on the official website of Tianjin Conservatory of Music, as well as the official WeChat accounts of Futian District Government and Futian Culture and Sports Center.

Final Round:

Finalists will perform their works live for the panel’s evaluation.

If a performer is different from the composer, the judges will evaluate the song itself before giving a comprehensive score. If a finalist is a student of a judge, that judge will recuse themselves from evaluating that finalist.

Prizes:

Professional group:

One first prize: 30,000 yuan

Two second prizes: 20,000 yuan each

Three third prizes: 5,000 yuan each

Six merit prizes: 1,000 yuan each

Non-professional group:

One first prize: 10,000 yuan

Two second prizes: 3,000 yuan

Six third prizes: 1,000 yuan

Please submit the creations to email: 774379034@qq.com

Contact: Teacher Zhang of the composition department of Tianjin Conservatory of Music

Tel: 137-5219-7301