Competition period: 19 – 21 December 2026

Candidate response: Each participant will be notified regarding the status of their registration via the email address provided in the registration form.

Depending on the number of candidates registered and admitted following pre-selection, the competition schedule may be subject to change during the event. We reserve the right to make changes to the program.

Competition Details

The competition is organized by categories (Opera, Lied) and sections:

• Opera: 18–25 years and 26–40 years
• Lied: 18–40 years

Within these categories, candidates enter the competition in chronological order of age.

If a competitor arrives late due to an objective reason, the committee may decide to reschedule their performance during the same stage.

Evaluation of Contestants

The evaluation takes place in three stages:

Stage 1 — Preselection

1–7 December 2026

Based on video submissions, assessed by a jury of master singing teachers.

Stage 2 — Semifinals

19–20 December 2026 | Vienna & Debrecen

Based on live performances, assessed by a jury of managers and directors of opera houses and musical theatres.

Stage 3 — Finals & Gala Concert

21 December 2026 | Csokonai National Theatre, Debrecen

The final performances are assessed by a jury of distinguished figures in today’s musical world.

Announcement of Results

• 7 December 2026

  Announcement of the preselection results.

• 19 and 20 December 2026

  Announcement of the contestants admitted to the finals, following the conclusion of each day’s semifinal.

• 21 December 2026

  Announcement of the final results and presentation of the awards during the Gala Concert at the Csokonai National Theatre, Debrecen.

Jury Evaluation & Scoring

The jury’s decisions are final. No appeals or complaints regarding the competition results will be accepted.

Each jury member awards each contestant a score of up to 100 points and provides brief feedback.

Scores are submitted to the jury secretary, who calculates each contestant’s average score.

Jury members may not score their current or former students; in such cases, the average score of the other jury members is taken into account.

In the event of a tie, the President of the Jury makes the final decision.