In 1987, the Bertelsmann Stiftung initiated the prestigious NEUE STIMMEN singing competition to give young singers from Europe the chance to pep their careers up to an international niveau. After the huge success and the steady growing number of applicants the competition was expanded to include singers from all over the world, and consequently launched the careers of stars such as Vesselina Kasarova, Michael Volle, Marina Rebeka, Christiane Karg, to name a few.

This year the competition takes place for the 15th time. Out of 1.428 applicants, 19 classical singers will compete in the semi-finals on October 10 at 7pm. Six of the 19 will pass to the final round on October 12 at 7pm, for the main prize, and will be accompanied by the Duisburg Philharmonic and under the baton of Giordano Bellincampi.

Journalist and TV-moderator Christian Noltze is going to chair the competition.

To find out who this year's contestants are, click here.

Members of the Jury:

Liz Mohn - President of the NEUE STIMMEN

Dominique Meyer - Head of Jury, Principal of the Wiener Staatsoper

Gustav Kuhn - Artistic Director, Conductor, Stage Director, Director of the Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Director of the Accademia di Montegral

Brian Dickie - Head of the Preselections, General Manager of the Chicago Opera Theater

Francisco Araiza - Kammersänger, Professor at the University for Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart

Siegfried Jerusalem - Kammersänger, Professor at the University for Music Nürnberg

Jürgen Kesting - Music Critic, Writer

Bernd Loebe - Director of the Oper Frankfurt

Christoph Meyer - General Manager at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf/Duisburg

Nicholas Payne - Director Opera Europa

Anja Silja - Kammersänger

Evamaria Wieser - Artistic Adviser of the Lyric Opera Chicago and of the Teatro dell`Opera di Roma

The Cast

The Venue

Venue Details

Stadthalle