Vocal competition for young opera talents, project choir and Open-air concert
This summer, Viva Classic Live is organising the second edition of the VCL Vocal competition for young opera talent up to 30 years old with roots in Limburg or North Rhine-Westphalia.
The semi finals consists of a live auditions and a masterclass by Detlef Soelter for a selection of up to 20 participants on July 1 or 2 in Theatre Mönchengladbach.
The grand finale will take place on 11 September 2024 with a large Open-air concert with orchestra and project choir on Venlo's Oude Markt (Old Market).
The candidates will each present themselves with two arias, accompanied by the orchestra "The New Symphonics" conducted by Federico Santi.
The final is free of charge.
Entry deadline 10 June 2024 - online
A passionate battle between five young opera talents from Limburg and North Rhine-Westphalia in a dazzling open-air concert with the most beautiful arias.
Registration and Repertoire
First selection (deadline June 10, 2024 - online):
- Video recording of two arias of your own choice in two different languages and two different style periods, accompanied by piano;
- Short motivation explaining the candidate's relationship with Limburg or North Rhine-Westphalia (origin, place of residence, study or work, current or in the past).
Semi-final with 20 candidates (July 1 or 2, 2024, Theatre Mönchengladbach):
- Live performance of (parts of) two or three arias accompanied by piano;
- Candidates create a program of six arias, in at least three different languages and in three different style periods, including at least one aria by Mozart;
- Candidates can choose one or more arias that can potentially be performed with choir during the final.
Final with five finalists (September 11, 2024, Oude Markt Venlo)
- Live performance of two arias with orchestra 'The New Symphonics' conducted by Federico Santi (optional with project choir).
- Rehearsal on Tuesday afternoon, September 10
Jury and Master classes
The semi finals consists of a live audition for a selection of up to 20 participants on July 1 or 2 in Theatre Mönchengladbach.
In addition to the audition, the candidates take part in two master classes (times from 11:30 AM to 7:00 PM or from 1:00 PM to 8:30 PM).
The jury of the 2024 edition consists of:
- Andreas Wendholz (opera director)
- Therese Renick (opera agency)
- Fenna Ograjensek (soprano and cultural connector)
- Jury chairman Sef Thissen (baritone and initiator of Viva Classic Live).
This year the Master Classes will be given by Detlef Soelter
Do you have another question?
Please contact our project leader immediately!
Mr. Sikko Cleveringa | +31 (0) 6 81592248
Email: concoursvcl@gmail.com
The "Willy Caron Trophy" is associated with the 1st prize, named after the famous opera singer from Venlo.
Prizes and development opportunities
There are various cash prizes and development opportunities for the finalists.
The first three places receive cash prizes.
The "Willy Caron Trophy" is associated with the 1st prize, named after the famous opera singer from Venlo.
In addition, there are several development awards, including a role in a future Opera Compact production and participation as a singer in the festive opera gala "Homage to Maria Callas" in the Krefeld and Mönchengladbach Theaters in November 2023.
Euregional cooperation
The opera competition and project choir is an initiative of the Viva Classic Live Foundation in collaboration with the Theaters Maaspoort and Krefeld-Mönchengladbach, Opera Compact and Sidera. It is made possible by the municipality of Venlo, Cultuurfonds Limburg, De Scheuten Foundation, Systemec and the Interreg program of the Euregio RMN
The project is also part of the 'Unlimited Talent' programme, an initiative of Theater Maaspoort, aimed at cultural crossovers in the Euregio. This project gives young, classically trained talent a platform to present themselves on both sides of the border and to connect more strongly with the region.
Project Choir
This year the VCL singing competition will be expanded with a project choir for trained amateur singers from both sides of the border, led by Marianne Scherjon.
The choir will study and perform four choral works:
- The choir of hope from The Sold Bride by Smetana
- The slave choir from Verdi's Nabucco
- Two Ukrainian 'traditionals': Kalina and 'Kozak never die'
With the choice of choral works we want to reflect on the current war suffering in the world and in Ukraine in particular. This is in the context of 40 years of city link between the cities of Krefeld and Venlo and more recently the Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi.
The participants in the project choir are, among others, affiliated with the Musical Association Sidera, the Russian-Ukrainian women's choir Resonance from Venlo conducted by Oksana Baljva and the Ukrainian choir Vershe from Krefeld-Linn conducted by Victor Lashchinsky. The project choir is almost complete but could still use some reinforcement from tenors and basses. You can register until May 25. The first of six rehearsals starts on June 1.
Six Finalists at Viva Cassic Live Opera Competition in Venlo
On Wednesday September 6, 2023, Viva Classic Live organized the first edition of the Viva Classic Live Vocal Competition, on the Viva Classic Live stage on the Markt in Venlo.
Six finalists then compete for the title of most promising operatic talent in Limburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. The jury has chosen the following finalists (in alphabetical order):
- Soprano Antonia Busse from Cologne
- Baritone Yancheng Chen from Essen
- Contra alto Sandra Gerlach from Cologne
- Soprano Maaike Hupperetz from Heerlen
- Mezzo Soprano Hyejun Kwon from Dortmund
- Counter tenor Luca Segger from Cologne.
You can follow the finalists via @vocalcompetition2023.
Inspiring semifinals
The six finalists were chosen from a group of eighteen highly inspiring talents, six out Netherlands and twelve from Germany, who took part in the last Monday and Tuesday semifinals in Theater Mönchengladbach. In addition to individual auditions, they also participated with great pleasure and passion in two masterclasses by the renowned soprano Eva- Maria Westbroek and the artistic director of Opera Compact Sybrand van der Werf. The inspiring gathering of this new generation of performing artists shows once again how much talent the region has to offer and what extra opportunities cross-border cooperation can offer them. That tastes to more!
The semi-finalists 2023
The 17 selected candidates for the semi-final Vocal Competition 2023 were:
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Amy Schillings (NL)
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Antonia Busse (DE)
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Elena Plaza Cebrián (DE)
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Eline Meijs (NL)
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Hansje van Welbergen (NL)
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Hyejun Kwon (DE)
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Johann Kalvelage (DE)
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Juliane Bogner (DE)
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Luca Segger (DE)
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Maaike Huppertz (NL)
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Marija Grinevska (DE)
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Miriam Rippel (DE)
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Neele Jacobsen (DE)
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Rahel Erki (NL)
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Rosalie Ardts (NL)
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Sandra Gerlach (DE)
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Yancheng Chen (DE
Vocal competition is made possible by
