Seventy years of discovering the voices that define opera

Andrew Watts has been General and Artistic Director of the IVC since September 2023. He previously served on the jury in 2018 and taught during the 2023 masterclass week, The Art of Singing. He combines his IVC role with an active career as a countertenor, performing at opera houses and concert halls around the world.

He regularly teaches at the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Ballet and Opera in London. He also teaches at the International Opera Studio of the Berlin Staatsoper and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Alongside these roles, he maintains a private vocal studio in London. At the IVC, he has developed the organisation's mission and welcomes everyone with an interest in classical vocal music. He supports an open-door approach to all IVC activities.

Classical singing has always been part of my life. Making a difference with and for people drives me, and I enjoy finding ways to improve things. I have worked as a programme and project manager in the IT sector for almost forty years. For the past twenty years, my work has focused on vitality, sustainability and society.

's-Hertogenbosch has been my favourite place since 2015. Here I discovered the IVC, first as a host family and later as a volunteer. The passion, resilience and zest for life of young singers inspire me. Being part of the IVC family has always given me great satisfaction. I am delighted to bring my experience to the IVC team and help young singers build their futures.

I enjoy working where music and theatre meet: in the rehearsal room, on stage, behind the scenes and everywhere in between. As a producer, dramaturg, composer, pianist and surtitler, I work across opera and music theatre. These roles give me different perspectives on what it takes to bring an artistic project to life.

My studies in musicology and theatre studies have deepened my interest in the relationship between art, history and artistic practice. I bring this experience to my work as Production Manager at the IVC. I connect people, ideas and processes to give artistic projects room to develop.

Music and the performing arts run through my professional life. As a marketing and communications professional, I have worked for theatres, producers, orchestras, a television channel and a classical record label. I have introduced audiences to many genres: light music, classical music, pop, jazz, musicals and opera.

I first encountered the IVC as a student working part-time at Theater aan de Parade. I loved following the musical journey of young singers and the jury over ten days. Working for the IVC feels a little like coming home. The competition matters to people around the world who are taking their first career steps. It is an honour to contribute to that.

I trained as a mezzo-soprano and work as a singer, social media manager and content creator. I discovered the IVC when I took part in Mozart Masterclass & More in 2021. Since 2023, I have presented the competition in person and online and managed its social media accounts.

I am proud to help an organisation that has supported my own development as a singer. The IVC cares about singers and works to develop their talent. I am also the founder and creative director of Five Lines Creatives, a social media agency for cultural organisations and musicians. I look forward to many more years with the IVC, as a presenter and in social media and communications. See you soon!

After several years as a volunteer, I have continued working with the IVC for quite some time. I studied singing at the Utrecht Conservatory and bring experience as a branch manager, project manager and trainer/consultant. I hope to use this background to contribute to the IVC's mission and ambitions.

Since 2017, I have experienced exciting competitions and inspiring masterclasses, attended wonderful concerts and met many remarkable people. It is a privilege to help an organisation that gives so much talent a stage. I look forward to contributing to the IVC's development in the years ahead.

I feel at home at the IVC because I have a love of both numbers and music. After graduating as a performing musician in jazz singing, I turned to theatre and composition. I began writing, producing and performing my own pieces. I bring the experience I gained through these productions to my work at the IVC.

I also love classical singing and see talent development as essential to education in the professional performing arts. Without education and craftsmanship, excellence cannot grow.