The prelude to this year’s music competition opens with Australian musician Wu Chengyu's Winds of Winter at the Harbin Music Hall on Aug 31. [Photo/MY399.COM]

The 2nd Harbin International Music Competition (IMCH) kicked off in Harbin, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, on Aug 31.

This year’s competition consists of a pre-selection and finals. It attracted the participation of 305 musicians from 22 countries and regions, including the US, UK, France, and Russia.

After pre-selection, which is based on video materials submitted by contestants, 30 pianists, 30 violinists, 35 vocalists, and six composers will be invited to Harbin to participate in the finals, which will last 10 days.

The top three contestants in each category will receive certificates and an award of $50,000 (first place), $20,000 (second place) or $10,000 (third place).

The jury for the competition will consist of 27 respected art directors and brokers from leading opera houses around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the Paris Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, and the Moscow Grand Theatre.

This year, Ye Xiaogang, president of the Chinese Musicians Association, will be invited to serve as chairman of the organizing committee and director of the art committee. Conductor Hu Ruyan will serve as deputy director of the competition’s art committee and as artistic director of the orchestra. Music conductors Zhu Qiyuan and Jiao Yang will participate in the competition and serve as bandleaders.

The prelude to this year’s music competition opened with Australian musician Wu Chengyu's Winds of Winter on Aug 31. The music is meant to depict different types of snowy scenery, including snow in a silent forest, snow scattering under the clouds, and snowstorms over a vast land.

Harbin, famous for its Russian influence, is also known as “China’s Music City” and regularly holds world-renowned cultural events.

IMCH, which consists of both singers and musicians, was jointly founded by the government of Harbin and the Harbin Conservatory of Music.

Since being launched in January 2018, the competition has been widely recognized by the music industry for its professionalism and authority.

The event aims to introduce new musical talent, provide high-quality entertainment, and raise Harbin’s profile as China’s Music City.