The contest will include both solo and group performances.

“The national contest aims to discover creative talent and promote the preservation and development of quintessential traditional music,” said Le Ngoc Cuong, head of the Performing Art Department, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

About 115 contestants will compete in solo performances with six traditional instruments – sao truc (bamboo flute), dan bau (monochord), dan nhi (two-cord fiddle), dan tranh (sixteen-cord zither), dan nguyet (two-cord guitar) and dan ty ba (four-chord lute).

Meanwhile, seven groups from five music schools around the nation will compete in the group category. The number of instruments is unlimited, but the maximum number of group performers must not exceed 15.

The contestants will be divided into groups A and B based on their age and skill. In the first round, each contestant has to perform three works including two traditional pieces and one new.

The selected contestants then will perform one traditional piece, one new piece and a piece of their choice in the second round. Performing time will not exceed 15 minutes.

As for the group category, the rules are nearly identical except that contestants can be of any age, and performances must be under 12 minutes in the first round and under 15 minutes in the second round.

The youngest contestant is Dang Tran Duy, born in 1997 from Hanoi. He will compete as a dan bau soloist. The oldest artist is Le Minh from Hanoi. The 34 year-old artist will perform on the dan nhi.

The jury will likely focus on Nguyen Ngoc Anh and Nguyen Thanh Nhan, who won First Prize at bamboo flute and two-cord fiddle respectively at the second contest five years ago.

The contest will be held from November 25 to December 2. The winners will be announced at the closing ceremony at the Hanoi Opera House.