Competition rules
CONDITIONS OF THE COMPETITION
1. The mission of the competition is searching for young talented performers of concert vocal art, stimulating their further artistic growth, promoting concert vocal production – with attention to works by Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský and selecting participants for the next international singing competitions.
The 1st category has three rounds; the competition repertoire is less demanding. Singers born after years: women – 2001 / men – 1999 can enrol in this category.
The 2nd category has three rounds with a more demanding repertoire. Singers born after years: women – 1992 / men – 1989 can enrol in this category.
2. Laureates (1st place) of the international singing competitions within the years 2020 – 2025 are not obliged to take part in the 1st round of the competition but are promoted directly to the 2nd round – the same registration fee still applies. In this instance a copy of the prize winning diploma should be sent to the mail – zmikulcova@hc.sk.
3. The application forms need to be sent, along with proof of registration payment, to the address below. The registration fee for the 1st category is 50 EUR and for the 2nd category is 75 EUR. The registration fee is irreversible.
The deadline for sending the application forms is set for March 31, 2025.
Online Application Form here <--
Payment documents have to be sent electronically to the e-mail zmikulcova@hc.sk.
The registration fee should be sent to this account number:
Štátna pokladnica
Radlinského 32
810 05 Bratislava 15
IBAN: SK62 8180 0000 0070 0006 9149
SWIFT: SPSRSKBAXX
4. Repertoire
CATEGORY I
1st round
- a) A folk song from the competitor’s native country
- b) Any piece from the 17th–18th century, competitor’s own choice
2nd round
- a) An opera aria or aria from an oratorio, mass, or concert aria from the Classical period
- b) An art song from the Romantic period
3rd round
- a) An opera aria from the Romantic period
- b) An art song by Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský
CATEGORY II
1st round
- a) An opera or oratorio aria from the Baroque period
- b) An art song from the 20th–21st century
2nd round
- a) Any opera aria by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- b) 1–3 art song/s from a cycle of any Slavic composer
- c) An opera aria from the Romantic period
3rd round
- a) An art song by Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský, competitor’s own choice
- b) An opera aria, competitor’s own choice
- c) An opera aria from the 20th–21st century
5. Songs in each round of both categories of the competition are at the choice of the competitor within the areas specified.
6. Transposition of arias is not allowed. Songs may be performed only in the transpositions issued for a competent voice range. The songs of Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský may be transposed only for deep voice ranges, according to the published original.
7. The competitors are not allowed in any round to repeat a song they have already performed at the competition.
8. The competition repertoire has to be performed in the original language.
9. All songs have to be performed by memory (except arias from oratorios, cantatas or masses).
10. Men and women will be judged separately for each category. The Jury has the right to consolidate the prizes and divide them to equal shares or to not award some of the prizes if the standard is not reached (the first prize is indivisible).
11. The decisions of the Jury are final.
12. The competition is open to the public audience.
13. If a competitor does not have an accompanist, he/she can ask the organizer for piano accompaniment.
14. Competitors are responsible for arranging their own accommodation. The organizer of the competition can provide information of hotel accommodation for the competitors and accompanist on request.
15. The competition results will be announced at the award ceremony which takes place during the final Laureates' concert on the 24th of May 2025.
16. The competitors agree with the eventual public audio or video recording without any claim to commission.
17. Further information or music scores will be sent directly to competitors on request.
*PRIZES
Category I
- 1st prize 2 000 €
- 2nd prize 1 500 €
- 3rd prize 1 000 €
Category II
- 1st prize 3 000 €
- 2nd prize 2 000 €
- 3rd prize 1 500 €
*The prizes are subject to taxation in accordance with Act No. 595/2003 Coll. on Income Tax, §8 Miscellaneous Income, paragraph (1) letter j) and §9 paragraph (2) letter m) paragraph 1.
Special prizes:
- Chairman of the Trnava Self-Governing Region Award for a young talent up to 21 years
- Trnava Self-Governing Region Award for the best piano collaboration
- Dr. Janko Blaho Award for a promising tenor
- Award of the Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský Society for the best performance of Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský’s song
- The Music Centre Slovakia Award
- Prof. Mária Kišoňová-Hubová Award for the best performance of the song Ružičky
- Theatres awards – awards for the finalists of the competition (an offer of a guest appearance or an audition in the given theatre) on the basis of the selection of the theatres’ representatives or the jury recommendation
The organizer reserves the right to change the prizes when necessary.
The International Jury:
- Gabriela Beňačková (Czech Republic)
- Wiktor Bockman (Switzerland)
- Daniel Čapkovič (Slovakia)
- Peter Dvorský (Slovakia)
- Ariane Hollaender-Calix (Austria)
- Guy Montavon (Germany)
- Tadeusz Pszonka (Poland)
- Martina Zadro (Croatia)
Chairwoman of the Jury:
Eva Blahová (Slovakia)
Piano accompaniment:
Xénia Maskalíková (Slovakia)
Róbert Pechanec (Slovakia)