Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition 2023 Announcement

Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition 2023 – Entries now Open

Public Final: Saturday 25 November, 6pm
Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford, OX2 6UD

Applications are now open for Bampton Classical Opera’s sixth biennial Young Singers’ Competition, launched in 2013 to celebrate the company’s 20th birthday.  It is now well established and identifies, rewards and nurtures some of the country’s most talented young professional singers aged 21-32 and their accompanists.  The previous winners are mezzo-soprano Anna Starushkevych (2013), soprano Galina Averina (2015), mezzo-soprano Emma Stannard (2017), soprano Lucy Anderson (2019), and soprano Cassandra Wright (2021).  In 2017 an Accompanists’ Prize was introduced, and the first winner was Keval Shah.  Bampton Classical Opera has a reputation for its commitment to young talent, and a number of singers who have appeared on the Bampton stage have gone on to work with national companies such as The Royal Opera, English National Opera and Opera North.

The first round of the Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition 2023 (closed sessions) will take place on 28 and 29 October in London. The public final will take place in the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford OX2 6UD, at 6pm. This is always an entertaining and thrilling event, and a chance to hear some remarkable performances.  Judges for the competition include two internationally renowned British singers: tenor Bonaventura Bottone and mezzo-soprano Jean Rigby.

Competitors for the Young Singers’ Competition 2023 can find more details in the Information Document and apply using the online application form, available here or on request by emailing ysc@bamptonopera.org

Applications entry deadline is Thursday 31st August 2023.

First (Closed) Round:
Venue: The Manoukian Music Centre, 9 Tufton St, London SW1P 3QB
Date: Saturday 28 and/or Sunday 29 October 

Final (Public) Round:
Venue: Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford OX2 6UD
Date: Saturday 25 November, 6pm

First prize £2,000 – Second prize £1,000
Accompanists’ Prize – £600

Previous Winners and Runners-up:
2013 Winner: Anna Starushkevych (mezzo-soprano) Runner-up: Rosalind Coad (soprano)
2015 Winner: Galina Averina (soprano)Runner-up: Céline Forrest (soprano)
2017 Winner: Emma Stannard (mezzo-soprano)Runner-up: Wagner Moreira (tenor)
Accompanists’Prize: Keval Shah
2019 Winner: Lucy Anderson (soprano) Joint Runners-up: Daniella Sicari (soprano) and Carolyn Holt (mezzo-soprano)
Accompanists’ Prize: Dylan Perez
2021 Winner: Cassandra Wright (soprano) Runner-up: Jessica Cale (soprano)
Accompanists’ Prize: Ilan Kurtser