Competitions › Bundeswettbewerb Gesang Berlin (National Singing Competition) - Opera/Operetta/Concert
Bundeswettbewerb Gesang Berlin (National Singing Competition) - Opera/Operetta/Concert
Next edition
- Edition
- 2026
- Dates
- Final rounds 23-26 November 2026; winners' concert 7 December 2026
- Location
- Berlin (Universität der Künste; Komische Oper im Schillertheater)
- Registration deadline
- 1 October 2026
- Fee
- EUR 30
Source: bwgesang.de
Overview
Germany's national competition for young classical singers, with an Opera/Operetta and a Concert category (a separate Musical/Chanson competition alternates with it). Open to German citizens, holders of a German school leaving certificate, or EU/EEA/Swiss/UK/Ukrainian citizens studying or trained in singing at a state-recognised institution in Germany, so it is not fully international.
- Organiser
- Bundeswettbewerb Gesang Berlin
- Instruments
- Voice (Opera/Operetta), Voice (Concert)
- Category
- Oratorio & sacred, Operetta, musical & zarzuela
- Age limits
- 2026 edition: born 1996 to 2009
Rules & repertoire
Registration & fee
Online registration (1 July to 1 October 2026) with a pre-selection video; fee transferred quoting the registration number. Official pianists are provided free on request.
Rounds & time limits
- Pre-selection: video (one piece of own choice, at least 3 minutes, a cappella or with at most one acoustic instrument, recorded within the last year)
- 1st final round (2026: 23-25 November)
- 2nd final round (2026: 26 November, UdK Berlin concert hall Hardenbergstrasse)
- Winners' concert (2026: 7 December, Komische Oper im Schillertheater)
Repertoire
Repertoire of at least 30 minutes, at least two thirds of it in the chosen category (Opera/Operetta or Concert); repertoire cannot be changed after the registration deadline.
Jury & prizes
Jury
Not published on the official pages we could check.Prizes
- Opera/Operetta: 1st EUR 5,000 (Governing Mayor of Berlin), 2nd EUR 4,000, 3rd EUR 3,000
- Concert: 1st EUR 5,000, 2nd EUR 4,000, 3rd EUR 3,000
- Joint prize of Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin and Staatsoper Berlin: EUR 5,000
- Förderpreise: EUR 4,000 / 3,000 / 2,000 (Walter Kaminsky-Stiftung) and 2 x EUR 1,000 (Walter und Charlotte Hamel Stiftung)
- Walter Kaminsky-Stiftung prize for best contemporary work: EUR 2,500
- Pianist prize: EUR 2,000
Past editions
Not published on the official pages we could check.Summarised from official sources, last checked 10 Nov 2026. Main source