Competition rules

I. Age limit  

The “Meistersinger von Nürnberg” singing competition is open to singers who, on the first day of the competition (23th July 2022), are at least 18 and not older than 36. (The upper age limit has been altered due to the Covid crisis and is intended to give all candidates in the 2020 competition a chance to reapply in 2022.)


II. Selection of arias

Candidates must submit a list of 6 arias, including one aria by Mozart. Any queries regarding the selection of arias can be directed to the organisation team, which is empowered to reject candidates or decline their list of arias.


III. Applications

Singers can apply from November 2021 on this web page.


Deadline for submission of applications: 28th February 2022

The jury will view the applications and decide who is to be invited to Nuremberg for the heats. Candidates will be informed by email. As well as submitting the list of arias (see II.), candidates must submit audio clips.

Criteria for audio clips: 

  • Based on the audio clips submitted the jury will select candidates for the heats in Nuremberg.
  • From the list of 6 arias proposed in the application (see II.) candidates must submit 3 audio clips, one of which must be the Mozart aria.
  • Music recordings can be entered on one of the following platforms: YouTube, Vimeo or Soundcloud. Unfortunately we cannot accept CDs. 
  • Please ensure that recordings are of optimum technical quality.

The following tips may be of assistance in achieving good-quality recordings:

  • Please avoid church interiors.
  • Use a handheld recorder if you wish, (e.g. Tascam DR-40, Zoom H4N, etc.).
  • Please ensure you are not too far from the microphone. 

For recordings on Smartphone:

  • Please shoot video in landscape format
  • Please shoot video in 1080p resolution if possible
  • Please use main camera function (higher quality) and a tripod or other means to achieve a steady picture
  • Please do not shoot video against the light, (e.g. with a window in the background)
  • Please wipe lens with a clean cloth beforehand. Grease etc. can cause a milky effect.

 

IV. No international pre-selections in 2022

Due to the ongoing virus situation worldwide there will be no international pre-selections in 2022. The jury will select candidates for the preliminary stages in Nuremberg. Please note the new application criteria set out in “Competition rules > III. Applications” below.


V. Heats in Nuremberg

For the heats in Nuremberg in July 2022, to which shortlisted candidates will be invited following consideration of applications, singers must prepare all six of their submitted arias. Singers can choose which aria they sing first; afterwards the jury members may ask to hear a second aria of their own choosing.

At each stage of the competition the order in which candidates will perform is determined ahead of time and can only be changed in exceptional cases and with the consent of the jury. All shortlisted candidates must be present in the theatre foyer when the time slots and order of candidates’ performance are announced (date to be announced).

Following the announcement candidates will be able to book a répétiteur if they wish. The schedule allows for a rehearsal before each heat. Rehearsals take place in practice rooms in the same order of the candidates’ performances.

All heats in Nuremberg are accompanied by répétiteurs and are open to the public.


VI. Semi-final/Final

In the semi-finals singers may choose which aria they will sing first; afterwards the jury members may ask to hear a second aria of their choosing.

The semi-final is accompanied by répétiteurs and is open to the public. Tickets for the semi-final can be purchased at standard ticket outlets.

For the final in Nuremberg the jury alone decides which of the 6 arias are to be sung by the respective candidates. The musical accompaniment to the final is provided by the Nuremberg State Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets for the final can be purchased at standard ticket outlets.


VII. Other rules   

  • All candidates sing their arias in the original language.
  • All candidates must sing in at least two languages.
  • Candidates must sing only the arias that they have listed. Changes are not permitted.
  • All arias must be sung from memory.
  • Candidates must provide legible piano excerpts.
  • The decisions of the jury and organisation team are final.
  • Should any conflict arise during the competition, the organisation team will inform the competition president, who will consult with the jury before announcing his decision.
  • It is a condition of entry to the competition that winners take part in the winners’ concert on Nuremberg’s Hauptmarkt square.

VIII. Registration/fees

Candidates are not deemed to be formally registered for the competition and auditions until they have paid the registration fee of €50 before the deadline set out above. All applications are then viewed and listened to, after which the candidates will be sent an acceptance or rejection email for the heats in Nuremberg. Fees will not be reimbursed to rejected applicants.

Please transfer the registration fee of €50 to the following account:

Stiftung Staatstheater Nürnberg

IBAN: DE50 7605 0101 0013 0079 01

BIC:  SSKNDE77XXX

The reference (‘Verwendungszweck‘) must contain the following information: Your registration I.D. no. (MSW ID XXXX), your surname, your first name.

Your application will not be processed if this information is not entered.

Candidates who have been shortlisted to take part in the competition in Nuremberg in July 2022 must pay a participation fee of €170.

For each day spent taking part in the competition in Nuremberg candidates will receive €35 towards living expenses, the sum to be paid by bank transfer after the competition has ended.

By entering the competition, candidates undertake to comply with all the relevant rules and conditions. Should any conflict relating to the interpretation of rules arise, the German-language version of the competition rules shall take precedence.

Should the singing competition be cancelled for reasons of force majeure or for other reasons, e.g. operational disruptions, strike, necessary construction measures, official order, theater fire, power failure, prohibition by the originator, illness in the ensemble, etc., the Nuremberg State Theater cannot be held responsible in any way by the candidates and is therefore free of any obligations such as the payment of compensation or reimbursement of costs incurred.