23-28 September 2025
Theater aan de Parade, ’s-Hertogenbosch

In 2025 the IVC will launch its new competition entitled ‘Theatre in Song’. The format of this competition is different and will inspire artists to engage audiences more with song and music.
Classical Song in recital form is a beautiful but rather exclusive vocal art form. Composers like Schubert, Schumann and Fauré wrote masterpieces in the genre. The IVC is going to make this genre more accessible to 21st-century audiences. The IVC LiedDuo Competition will be transformed into ‘Theatre in Song’. The IVC is thus introducing an initiative that encourages artists to tap into their creativity and explore innovative forms of presentation. Besides the classic song-piano duos, combinations of solo singing with, for example, guitar, lute, harp, electronics, or percussion are possible.
The repertoire can be rooted in the tradition of German Lieder or French Mélodies, but newly composed music can also be the trigger for an interdisciplinary concept. ‘Theatre in Song’ aims to encourage integration with other art forms, such as theatre, dance, circus, performance, scenography, video art, visual art, design, spoken word and poetry.

‘Theatre in Song’ allows us to involve makers from other disciplines in the process. It opens the door to people with diversity in cultural or gender background. ‘Theatre in Song’ focuses on developing a 40- to 45-minute musical-theatrical production. The concept can be based on a social theme, but can also have a more abstract premise. The productions should be easily transportable for touring different venues.
The 2025 jury consists of pianist and BBC Radio 3 programme maker Iain Burnside (Jury President), soprano Yvonne Kenny, bass Robert Holl, conductor, musicologist and artistic director of Musica Viva Australia Paul Kildea, Anita Crowe, programming Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam, director Simon McBurney and Andrew Comben, chief executive at Britten Pears Arts.

Applications open 5 May 2025.