NTD 8th International Piano Competition Winners Announced

BY Nikou Bani TIMESeptember 5, 2026

NTD Television Network on Saturday announced the winners of its 8th International Piano Competition.

The mission of the competition, which was held in New York City from Sept. 2 to Sept. 5, is to promote traditional arts and to bring back the glory of piano masterpieces from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods.

The competition is part of a series of international cultural and arts events organized by NTD.

Vitalii Khairutdinov from Russia won the Gold Award. He said the moment came with a mix of emotions. 

“I’m speechless … It’s very interesting and very complicated feelings. So at the same time, I realize, oh my God, I have to go practice tomorrow, and I have to teach tomorrow,” he said. “When I look back and I see the way of that preparation, every time when you prepare for the competition, that’s a long way, it’s very hard path. So I’m just happy it’s done, to be honest. I’m just happy.”

The judges looked for more than just technical precision in the performances.

“Your whole body, your whole being, is in the music. You have to work with your head, with your heart, with your soul,” said Becky Yao, the jury panel chair of the competition. “Behind that, they spend thousands of hours. The sweat and the difficulty, it’s very difficult work.”

id14841734-VitalliKhairutdino-2 — Vitalii Khairutdinov performs at NTD’s 8th International Piano Competition preliminaries in New York City on Sept. 2, 2026. (Du Guohui/The Epoch Times)

The competition also features a special commissioned composition, “Divine’s Calling,” rearranged from one of the vocal pieces composed by the artistic director of Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Semifinalists competed for a “Best Rendition of Commissioned Composition” award.

“The first time we do [anything], we’re usually full of nerves. So I just decided to put my heart into the work,” said Khoi Luu, who won the best rendition award.

Khoi Luu-NTD piano competition semifinals — Khoi Luu performs at NTD’s 8th International Piano Competition semifinals in New York City on Sept. 4, 2026. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Creating a deeper connection with the music was personal to each contestant.

“There’s a quote that says, ‘God is love, and music is the language of love; therefore, music is the language of God.’ So I think that’s one that I’ve I’ve really kept in my head this whole composition, and [am] really trying to, especially with the commission piece, really trying to make the sounds I produce sound heavenly,” said Joseph Gallwas, who won the Outstanding Performance Award.

Bronze Award winner Francis Lien said: “It’s just like a blank canvas. So I start from the first note … and if you make it successfully with your ideas, I feel happy.”

Silver Award winner Elzbieta Bilicka said: “I could feel that the audience was with me … I took people together with me on a journey. And it’s no longer about me proving myself on stage.”