Stadthalle Gütersloh, Germany
The Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition aims to discover young opera singing talent, promote budding singers and pave their way to national and international careers. Singing is a fundamental and highly effective form of human communication with profound cultural significance. Promoting young talent as a way of responding to and implementing change in the world of opera complies with the aims of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Set up in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn, the Stiftung is active in culture and education, international understanding, democracy and civil society, economic and social affairs as well as health.
This year, a total of 1,400 up-and-coming opera singers have applied to compete in the 15th Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition, organized by the Bertelsmann Stiftung. The preliminary round auditions, held in cities all around the globe, began on April 29 in Toronto, followed by auditions in Vienna, New York, Chicago and Yokosuka, Japan. In total, candidates have been able to audition at 23 locations worldwide. There are now only 41 to perform for the final round.
