Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition

With our Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition, the Bertelsmann Stiftung intends to

• seek out young opera singers, select the most promising performers and promote their artistic talents
• give these rising talents an opportunity to present themselves before an audience of experts
• promote dialogue among young artists with different cultural, national and religious backgrounds.

Sponsor:
The Bertelsmann Stiftung in collaboration with WDR broadcasting in Cologne.

Kickoff:
In 1987, Liz Mohn initiated the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition, which has developed from a competition for European singers into one of the globe's most important singing competitions.

Target group:
This competition is directed at young opera singers whose talent promises a national or international career.

Selection process:
Competitors who have qualified for the finals at one of the preliminary events held around the world present themselves in Gütersloh to an internationally renowned jury and, in the semifinal and final rounds, perform with an orchestra before an audience of experts. In the preliminaries and the finals, vocal quality, technical skill, musical arrangement and stage presence are weighted equally. For details please visit http://www.neue-stimmen.de/

Jury members:

Dominique Meyer (President of the Jury) 
Gustav Kuhn 
Brian Dickie 
Francisco Araíza 
Siegfried Jerusalem 
Jürgen Kesting 
Bernd Loebe 
Nicholas Payne 
Anja Silja 
Evamaria Wieser

Jury members at previous competitions:

Inge Borkh
August Everding
Anthony Freud
Reri Grist
Ioan Holender
Sir Peter Jonas
René Kollo
Edith Mathis
Brian McMaster
Kurt Moll
Gérard Mortier
Edda Moser
Birgit Nilsson
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Thomas M. Stein
Sir John Tooley
Sir Peter Ustinov
Edith Wiens