4th World Guzheng Competition Official Website

4th

World Guzheng

Competition

Where Guzheng Connects the World

Organizer

Asian Art Association Singapore

From

December 15, 2025

Until

April 19, 2026

Updated June 15, 2026

1. The electronic certificates for this competition have been completed. Please visit Google Drive (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Oku40fswwqtI6S2NpkUMw_oduqcpPdq7?usp=sharing) or Baidu Drive (link: https://pan.baidu.com/s/13xLSU3UvES0Q3Y2nnDs7LA?pwd=irtn) to download them.
2. Please carefully check if your Chinese and English names, Category, etc. are accurate. If any errors are found, please contact the customer service before June 20, 2026 to submit a modification application.
3. To protect privacy, the evaluation comments certificates will be sent to the participants' email addresses. They are expected to be delivered by June 20. Please pay attention to checking.
4. All participants who have purchased physical certificates and medals will receive the related items starting from July 2026. Please keep an eye out for their delivery.

The 4th World Guzheng Competition, presented by the Asian Art Association Singapore, continues its mission as an international platform dedicated to the promotion, transmission, and contemporary expression of guzheng music. Following the successful organization of three previous editions, the competition has steadily grown into a recognized global event for guzheng performers and learners worldwide.

Open to participants of all ages, nationalities, and musical backgrounds, the competition offers an inclusive and professional stage for both emerging talents and experienced performers. The 4th edition maintains a well-established competition structure and judging system, while encouraging diverse interpretations, stylistic individuality, and artistic depth. Through this event, we aim to foster greater appreciation of the guzheng and support its ongoing development in a global cultural context.

Beyond technical competition, the World Guzheng Competition serves as a platform for artistic exchange and mutual learning. By bringing together participants from different cultures through music, the competition strengthens international dialogue and highlights the enduring vitality of this traditional instrument in today’s world.

Chen Jiawen, Hong Kong Young Guzheng Performer

Highlight

· A Global Stage for Performance
Join guzheng performers from around the world and present your music on an international platform that values artistic individuality and expression.

· Professional and Authoritative Judging
Evaluated by an international panel of guzheng artists and music professionals, your performance will receive fair, professional, and credible assessment.

· Fair Grouping for All Levels
Clear age and skill-based categories ensure that every participant competes in an appropriate and balanced environment.

· Learning Through Competition
More than rankings, the competition emphasizes growth and improvement, offering valuable professional feedback to support artistic development.

· Express Your Musical Identity
Respecting tradition while welcoming diversity, the competition encourages personal interpretation and contemporary musical understanding.

ELIGIBILITY

Guzheng Instrument Lovers and Professionals All Over the World

Amateur category

Amateur Preschool

6 years old or under
One work of your choice

Amateur Children A

7 - 9 years old
One work of your choice

Amateur Children B

10 - 12 years old
One work of your choice

Amateur Teenager A

13 - 15 years old
One work of your choice

Amateur Teenager B

16 and 17 years old
One work of your choice

Amateur Youth

18 - 44 years old
Two works of your choice

Amateur Platinum

Over 45 years old
One work of your choice

Amateur Ensemble

No Age Limit
One work of your choice

Professional Category

Professional Teenager

17 years old or under
Students majoring in guzheng in secondary schools, elementary schools and secondary schools of professional music colleges

Professional Youth A

18 - 35 years old
Students, teachers and professional group players of the eleven major music academies in China (including teachers and freelancers from all over the world whose last degree is within three years after graduation from the eleven major music academies)

Professional Youth B

18 - 35 years old
Students, teachers and professional group players of guzheng in art colleges or comprehensive universities

Professional Platinum

Over 25 years old
Guzheng professional students, teachers and professional group players and freelancers

Professional Ensemble

No Age Limit

Uniform requirements for Professional Category: Two works of your choice, one for modern compositions (excluding adaptations of other songs or from other instruments including original pieces), one for traditional work

Judges

Chen Wenying ⮕

Canadian Renowned Guzheng Performer
Artistic Director of the Yingcai Music Academy

Beibei Monter ⮕

American Guzheng Zither Artist

FAN Wei-Tsu ⮕

Taiwanese Guzheng Artist
Dean of the College of Arts and Professor of the Chinese Music Department at CCU

Wang Wei ⮕

Chinese Guzheng Artist
Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music

Xu Lingzi ⮕

Hong Kong Renowned Guzheng Performer
Professor and Deputy Head of the Chinese Music Department of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Zhang Xiaobo ⮕

Japanese Guzheng Performer
Doctoral Candidate in the Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo

Entry process

Step 1: Record the performance video horizontally. Before the performance, a performer or announcer speaks to the camera, "I am XXX, from XX city, XX country. Today is DD, MM, YYYY. The following program is for the World Guzheng Competition organized by the Asian Art Association Singapore. The instrument I use to play is xxx, I participate in the xxx Category, and the name of the performance is xxx." and then performed directly without any cuts.

Step 2: Submit the registration form and the network disk link of the video file on the official website of the competition before 24:00 on April 15, 2026. This time is Singapore time.

Step 3: Visit the official website of the World Guzheng Competition on June 2, 2026 to check the competition results.

Scoring criteria and competition rules

The jury scores according to a number of dimensions, such as the difficulty of the piece, mastery of playing techniques, and musical expression.

For more information, please read the Rules of the Competition ⮕

Awards

PLATINUM: 5% of the entries in each group. The winners will be awarded with a trophy, a certificate of award and a certificate of the judge's comment.

GOLD: 10% of the entries in each group. The winners will be awarded with a trophy, a certificate of award and a certificate of the judge's comment.

SILVER: 15% of the entries in each group. The winners will be awarded with a trophy, a certificate of award and a certificate of the judge's comment.

BRONZE: 20% of the entries in each group. The winners will be awarded with a trophy, a certificate of merit and a certificate of the judge's comment.

OUTSTANDING WORKS: 50% of the entries in each group. The winners will be a certificate of award and a certificate of the judge's comment.

OUTSTANDING TUTOR: The tutors of all participants, a certificate of award

OUTSTANDING ORGANIZATION: Group registration institutions, Award trophies and Award certificates

* The Judges' Comments Certificate is a self-selected item.
* The Organising Committee reserves the right to adjust the number of prizes according to the level of performance in each category.

Sample Certificate ⮕

Submit and Fee

Amateur Solo Category (Per Person): SGD 99 / RMB 550 / HKD 590 ,
Professional Solo Category (Per Person): SGD 129 / RMB 720 / HKD 760
Amateur Ensemble Category (Per Group): SGD 199 / RMB 1,110 / HKD 1,160
Professional Ensemble Category (Per Group): SGD 299 / RMB 1,670 / HKD 1,740

Registration has closed. Please visit our website in late May to check the competition results.