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Conditions of Admission

  • Application is open to duos of which both pianist and singer study at a conservatory or music academy in the world, in either a Bachelor or Master programme or equivalent. Note that preliminary programmes do not qualify.
  • In addition, the competition is open to duos of which one person is registered as a student, while the other has been registered as such and has received his or her diploma on or after November 17th 2023.
  • Application is not open to musicians who have previously won the First Prize of the competition, wether in the original duo or as part of a new duo.

Procedure of admission

  • Interested duos must use the application form downloadable from this website and apply before the deadline, listed in the timeline.
  • Applicants are to upload a collection of MP3’s or YouTube links meeting the conditions described in the application portal. We ask you to submit at least 3 recordings, representing the 3 obligatory languages: German, French and English. It’s possible to add a maximum of 3 more songs in any other language you might favor.
  • Each duo is to fill out a repertoire list during the process of application. See repertoire for the exact requirements!
  • The jury will assess the applications and decide which duos will be accepted for entry to the competition. Duos that are not admitted wil receive a short, motivated reason from the jury. Duos that are accepted will receive notification by the date listed in the timeline.
  • Duos that are admitted will receive the list with 3 obligatory songs and the commissioned composition by the dates listed in the  timeline section.

Admission and mandatory repertoire

  • The number of duos admitted to the first round is limited to 50. (Note: this is a change compared to earlier editions, where 30 duos were admitted.)
  • All 50 duos that are admitted to the competition receive a list with 3 songs, that have to be studied, the so-called mandatory repertoire. From this list, the artistic director chooses 1 song for the first  round of the competition, to be announced shortly before your performance.
  • We have a good tradition of having one composition commissioned at the occasion of the competition. Every duo will receive this song (see  timeline). The song is to be performed in the second round, but may also be performed again in the finals.
  • Since 2020 it is a new element of the competition that in the second round you are challenged to achieve thematic consistency in your performance, based on the text of the poem “Sing a while longer” by Edwin Markham. Keep this in mind when composing your list of free repertoire.
    You select a number of songs from your list, different from the ones you performed in the 1st round, with a total duration between 14 and 16 minutes. This selection is to be submitted at your registration.
    The idea is that you introduce and present this programme and yourself. We invite you to be creative, and to be as theatrical as you like! This means that there will not be a moderator or presenter in the second round!
  • All songs have to be sung by heart, with the exemption that the Artistic Director may decide that the commissioned composition may be sung from the score. Consult us in case you are not sure on this point!

Costs

  • The application fee of €150 can be transferred via bank transfer upon completion of the registration form. Admissions are only considered for which the payment is received (proof of payment suffices in case of applications that are completed near the deadline).
  • Each competitor is responsible for covering all costs that may be incurred by participation in the competition. Unfortunately we can’t offer any scholarships or other support.
  • The enrollment fee of €150 cannot be returned. The decisions of the Jury are not open for discussion.

General conditions

  • All rights to possible video or audio recordings remain the property of The International Student Lied Duo Competition.
  • The competitors receive no payment for possible TV or radio broadcasts.
  • For reasons of competition planning, the competitors are required to report in time.
  • All prize winners are obliged to attend the presentation of the prizes.
  • All organizational decisions concerning the Competition remain the responsibility of the Competition Director. The Director reserves the right to make all final decisions in the event of any misunderstanding.