The semifinalists are:
- Albano, Miriam; mezzo-soprano (Italy, born 1991)
- Amaral, Leonor; coloratura soprano (Portugal, born 1987)
- Bochmanova, Mariia; lyric soprano (Russia, born 1987)
- Chen, Dashuai; tenor (China, born 1990)
- Dreisig, Elsa; soprano (France, born 1991)
- Ferfecka, Adriana; soprano (Poland, born 1992)
- Fingerlos, Rafael; baritone (Austria, born 1986)
- Heiberg, Signe; soprano (Denmark, born 1988)
- Kim, Jung Rae; baritone (South Korea, born 1994)
- Moyake, Lukhanyo; tenor (South Africa, born 1986)
- Nakani, Bongiwe; mezzo-soprano (South Africa, born 1989)
- Ntshanyana, Thobela; tenor (South Africa, born 1989)
- Onishchenko, Igor; baritone (Ukraine, born 1993)
- Pati, Darren; tenor (New Zealand, born 1987)
- Qave, Luthando; baritone (South Africa, born 1986)
- Scheurle, Clara Corinna; mezzo-soprano (Germany, born 1991)
- Sharvit, Hagar; mezzo-soprano (Israel, born 1986)
- Sivko, Anatoli; bass (Belarus, born 1987)
- Titinger, Camila; lyric soprano (Brazil, born 1989)
For Liz Mohn, president of the competition and vice-chairwoman of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board, the participants who did not make it to the semifinals are also winners. "Anyone who is selected from 1,400 original contestants worldwide to be among the top 42 is first rate and has an excellent chance of going on to a major career," Mohn said.
The competition's final round began last Sunday, October 18, with piano rehearsals with four accompanists. On Monday and Tuesday, the young singers performed for the international jury made up of seasoned professionals under the chairmanship of Dominique Meyer, director of the Vienna State Opera.
Singers participating in the semifinals on Thursday, October 22, and the finals on Saturday, October 24, will be accompanied by the Duisburg Philharmonic under the direction of Graeme Jenkins. Contestants rehearse with the orchestra before taking part in the semifinals and finals and receive individual feedback from the jury. NEUE STIMMEN is one of the few singing competitions worldwide in which participants are accompanied by an orchestra during the semifinals.
Dress rehearsals for the semifinals and finals are open to the public. They will take place on Thursday, October 22, and Saturday, October 24, from 11 am to 2 pm in the Gütersloh Stadthalle. On October 27, the finals will be streamed live from 7 pm to approximately 10:30 pm on www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de, www.neue-stimmen.de, www.sonostream.tv and www.n-tv.de. Unitel CLASSICA will record both the semifinals and finals and broadcast them internationally on October 29 and 30, 2015.
Not only does the Bertelsmann Stiftung use NEUE STIMMEN to discover new talent, it also promotes and assists the young singers, thereby setting new standards for competitions in general. For example, all singers are provided with comments on their performance directly after auditioning. In addition to feedback on technical ability, vocal quality, musical presentation and artistic presence, they receive recommendations specific to their own situation. To assist them in developing further, participants might also be given the opportunity to perform in concert, receive an invitation from the foundation's network of partners or be asked to attend a master class in Gütersloh.
The video below gives you an impression of the auditions and the announcement of the semifinalists.
