On October 25, the finals of the second Waigaoqiao Voice Competition were held at the Senlan Business Plaza, featuring 30 contestants from various professions who brought a unique artistic wave to autumn in Pudong. The event was organized by the Waigaoqiao Branch of the Pudong New Area Culture and Arts Guidance Center, with co-sponsorship from the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Gaoqiao Cultural Service Center, Gaodong Cultural Service Center, and the Guxing Cultural Service Center.
This year's "Waigaoqiao Voice" competition continued its style of “zero threshold registration, broad participation, professional judging, and popularity ruling”, expanding the registration not only to the Gaoqiao, Gaodong, and Guxing areas but to the entire city. This resulted in a record number of entries, with the youngest contestant being only four years old and the oldest in their seventies, showcasing a high level of vocal talent overall.
The participants included professionals from various fields such as engineers, business managers, real estate agents, and hairstylists, as well as campus stars and community song kings selected by different towns, along with builders from numerous companies like Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company and Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company. Esteemed judges included Peng Cheng, a national first-class composer and executive vice president of the Shanghai Musicians Association’s Popular Music Committee, and Wang Xiaoning, a national first-class composer and executive council member of the Shanghai Musicians Association.
The atmosphere at the finals was electrifying, with the audience highly engaged. Ultimately, Luo Jian from the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company won the gold award with his rendition of "Singing for You." Luo expressed, "Performing on the Waigaoqiao Voice stage, which combines popularity and professionalism, is truly a pleasure." He expressed hope for more similar events in the future to enrich the lives of young people in the eastern Pudong area.
During the award ceremony, organizers presented a generous "Cultural Gift Package" to the winners, which included exciting performance tickets from cultural institutions in the Gaoqiao area, limited-edition cultural and creative gifts from neighborhoods in Gaodong, as well as movie and consumption vouchers provided by companies such as Senlan Business Plaza.
To enrich the cultural activities in the northeastern region of Pudong and fully showcase the spirit of the community, the Waigaoqiao Branch of the Pudong New Area Culture and Arts Guidance Center organized the first Waigaoqiao Voice Competition last year, aimed at providing a platform for local talent to shine and fostering regional cultural, commercial, and tourism integration through “Culture +”.
The competition not only highlighted the multifaceted talents of Pudong’s young builders but also facilitated social connections among participants through on-site interactions and wechat groups. In the group established last year, competitors became friends offstage, singing together and sharing life and work experiences. As soon as registration opened for this year's competition, the group buzzed with excitement, with many returning to participate again.
Over the past two years, Senlan Business Plaza has hosted the finals of both competitions and leveraged the popularity of the Waigaoqiao Voice to attract a wider audience by providing venues and vouchers, thereby enriching the cultural atmosphere and elevating the appreciation for cultural and artistic endeavors. The Pudong New Area Culture and Arts Guidance Center indicated that by using "culture" as a medium and "collaboration" as a principle, the competition revitalizes culture through community interactions, showcases the cultural charm of the northeastern Pudong region, enhances the effectiveness of public cultural services, meets citizens' higher spiritual and cultural needs, and injects new vitality into the integration of culture, tourism, and commerce through "Cultural Events +".
Comments