A total of 1,318 young opera talents have applied to participate in the 16th NEUE STIMMEN International Singing Competition. The preliminary auditions, which are being held at 26 locations around the world, will begin on May 7 in Yokosuka, Japan, followed by dates in Beijing, Cluj-Napoca and Melbourne. Auditions will be held at two locations in Germany: Munich (June 13 – 14) and Berlin (June 20 – 21). The maximum age for participants has been lowered for the 2015 competition to 28 years for female singers and 30 years for male singers. By clearly focusing on younger performers, the competition offers up-and-coming artists the opportunity to demonstrate their talent and develop it further.
Overall, 171 singers have applied to audition in Berlin, 162 in Beijing, 112 in Vienna and 55 in Shanghai. The high level of interest in China shows that the affinity of the country’s young people for western cultural traditions such as opera continues to grow. Another positive development is the large number of participants from Ukraine. Despite the difficult political and economic situation there, the Bertelsmann Stiftung will be organizing auditions in Kiev, giving 56 young singers the opportunity to participate in the competition.