Exciting news! The Pendine International Voice of the Future is open for entries, giving young singers a chance to shine on a global stage
Wales: The Pendine International Voice of the Future competition is back, and it’s a big deal! Sir Bryn Terfel, the legendary bass baritone, is all in on this event. He thinks it’s a fantastic chance for young singers to showcase their talent.
Sir Bryn, who hails from Pantglas near Penygroes, will be performing at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod on July 13. He’s set to sing songs from his latest album, Sea Songs, and will be joined by the Cornish folk group Fisherman’s Friends and Welsh singer Eve Goodman.
The competition kicks off with the final round during the concert, which has been a highlight of the festival since it started in 2013. Last year, 28 young talents took part, and the winner was a soprano from Singapore, Shimona Rose.
Sponsored by Pendine Park, the competition offers a £3,000 prize for the winner and £1,000 for the runner-up. Sir Bryn believes this event can really help launch the careers of young singers.
To enter, contestants need to send in an audio recording and proof of age. They must be at least 19 years old on the competition’s first day. The preliminary rounds allow for a performance of up to seven minutes, while the final can be up to ten minutes long.
Competitors will sing pieces from oratorio, opera, lieder, or song, and they need to perform in the original language. They’ll face a preliminary round and a semi-final on July 11 before the big final two days later.
Dave Danford, the artistic director of the Eisteddfod, mentioned that it’s thrilling for these young singers to share the stage with someone as renowned as Bryn. So far, they’ve received entries from places like China and Nigeria, along with England and Wales.
But there’s still time! Singers have until February 20 to submit their entries. After that, a panel will review the applications and select the participants for this year’s competition.
Mark your calendars! The deadline to enter the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition is February 20. For more info on how to enter and to grab tickets, check out their website.
