8th SZ Chorus Season closes with awards gala

Video and photos by Liu Xudong

The final curtain fell on the 8th Shenzhen Chorus Season on the evening of May 25, 2026, with an awards ceremony and concert at the Shenzhen Grand Theater.

The 11-day event, which started May 15, featured more than 20 high-quality activities, drawing 130 choirs and about 6,000 singers from across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Choral pieces are performed at the closing concert. 

The Shenzhen Choral Open Competition, a key part of the season, attracted nearly 100 non-professional choirs. After a rigorous selection process involving video preliminaries, the two-day live finals saw 19 senior choirs, 14 youth choirs, 18 adult choirs and five vocal ensembles compete.

Many groups presented original works enriched with innovative elements such as folk instrument accompaniments and operatic performances. A jury assessed the choirs on fundamental skills, vocal technique and artistic expression, awarding gold, silver and bronze prizes, as well as honors for outstanding conductors and outstanding piano accompaniment.

Awards are presented to the winning individuals and groups at the closing concert.

At the closing concert, nine gold-winning choirs, together with the special guest Choral Co-creation Camp Choir, performed ten choral pieces. Awards were presented to the winning individuals and groups, bringing the season to a celebratory close.

"We sang 'Fireflies Light the Lamp.' It's a beautiful song. I sing the soprano part. It's very high-pitched. I really love singing," said Guo Yang, a third-grader from the Bay Area Youth Choir.

Guo Yang, a third-grader from the Bay Area Youth Choir, takes the stage and showcases her love for singing.

Beyond the competition, the season included youth concerts, a GBA outstanding choirs concert, a choral co-creation camp, and flash mobs at landmarks such as the Gangxia North "Eye of Shenzhen" Metro hub, the ICIF venue and the international cruise homeport.

These unexpected harmonies in public spaces drew smiles from commuters and applauses from visitors, helping choral art break into everyday urban life.

Experts from the UNESCO International Music Council and the International Choral Federation praised Shenzhen as a rising national choral powerhouse. They said that the city boasts top-tier choirs, excellent conductors, strong original composition capabilities and broad public engagement — placing it firmly in China’s first tier of choral artistry. They encouraged Shenzhen to upgrade the season into an international platform and help its original choral works reach the global stage.

For many participants, the experience was about more than winning awards.

Liao Liangcheng, head of the "Ju Shuo Ni Wo" troupe, receives an interview of Shenzhen Daily. 

Liao Liangcheng, head of the "Ju Shuo Ni Wo" troupe, whose members are mothers of children with special needs, said: "Our troupe was founded less than a year ago. Half of our members have zero choral background. Competing alongside teams with more than a decade of experience was a valuable learning opportunity."

"Standing on this professional stage and practicing our vision of 'entertaining and healing ourselves, and integrating people with and without disabilities' — that is our greatest reward."

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