How to apply for the IVC Opera & Oratorio 2026
Classical singers from every country are invited to compete in 's-Hertogenbosch (2-10 October 2026). Every applicant takes part in the Preliminary Selections, either at a live audition or by submitting a video online. Here is everything you need to know before you apply.
Applications for the 59th IVC Opera & Oratorio are closed
The application process runs through the IVC application portal: create an account, choose your Preliminary Selection route, upload your repertoire and sheet music, and pay the entry fee. Forty singers are selected for the Main Rounds and Finals at Theater aan de Parade.
Applications are submitted via the secure portal at backoffice.ivc.nu.
Who can apply
The competition is open to aspiring professional singers of all nationalities who have completed their formal vocal studies, are in their final year of study, or have an equivalent level of training, and who aim to pursue a professional singing career.
- Maximum age 34 - eligible singers must be born on or after 11 October 1991.
- Participants must be at least 18 years old at the time of the competition.
- Singers residing in the Netherlands or Belgium are not eligible for the YouTube route unless authorised by the General and Artistic Director.
Fees and what's covered
€50 entry fee. You may bring your own accompanist; an official IVC pianist can be arranged for an additional €30.
€175 on selection. Includes 21% VAT and all transaction charges, payable through the application portal.
Accommodation with a host family, plus reimbursement of travel expenses up to €500 on submission of your travel documents.
Accepted payment methods: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, Bancontact, iDEAL, SOFORT, KBC/CBC and Belfius Pay. Fees are not refunded after withdrawal from the competition.
Two ways to enter the Preliminary Selections
Every singer who wishes to compete must take part in the Preliminary Selections - either in person at one of our audition cities or by submitting a video via YouTube.
Live auditions
Sing in person before the jury at one of nine host venues across Europe and Asia. Each city has its own application deadline. If you audition live, upload the sheet music for each aria as a PDF via the portal.
YouTube video submission
Submit your audition online in one of two review rounds - Group I (deadline 4 March 2026) or Group II (deadline 23 June 2026). Results are announced within three weeks of each deadline, so earlier applicants hear back sooner.
Live audition cities 2026
Apply via the online portal and choose the city that suits you. Each audition has its own application deadline.
- 17 Feb
Academy of Music · Łódź, Poland
Audition 17 February · apply by 22 January
- 31 Mar
Colombo, Sri Lanka (venue tbd)
Audition 31 March · apply by 17 March
- 18 Apr
Staatsoper Unter den Linden · Berlin, Germany
Audition 18-19 April · apply by 26 March
- 25 Apr
Amsterdam University of the Arts · Netherlands
Audition 25-26 April · apply by 2 April
- 27 Apr
Opéra Bastille · Paris, France
Audition 27 April · apply by 8 April
- 10 May
Mozarteum University · Salzburg, Austria
Audition 10 May · apply by 22 April
- 17 May
Guildhall School of Music & Drama · London, UK
Audition 17 May · apply by 28 April
- 24 May
Fondazione Mascarade Opera · Florence, Italy
Audition 24 May · apply by 30 April
- 20 Jun
Theater aan de Parade · 's-Hertogenbosch, NL
Audition 20-21 June · apply by 21 May
Video submission guidelines
If you apply via the YouTube route, your recording must be a fair and accurate representation of your abilities and of high, preferably professional, quality.
- Submit two separate pieces, each as its own YouTube link. Recommended resolution 720p or 1080p (or higher).
- Only live piano or orchestral accompaniment is accepted - MP3 or pre-recorded backing tracks and audio-only files are not allowed.
- No editing, splicing or enhancement: the recording must be one continuous take, though multiple cameras may be used.
- Set YouTube privacy to Public or Unlisted (not Private) and do not mark videos as Made for children.
- Recorded within 12 months of submission. The description must state the recording date, your name, and the composer and title of each aria and opera or oratorio.
Preliminary Selection juries
Each audition city and the YouTube video rounds are assessed by their own panel. Andrew Watts, Countertenor and General & Artistic Director of IVC, sits on every panel.
Urszula Kryger (mezzo-soprano, professor at the Academy of Music in Łódź), Daniel Borowski (bass), Andrzej Dobber (baritone)
Lakshman Joseph de Saram (composer)
Bettina Giese (opera & casting director, Hamburgische Staatsoper), Dominik Kitzl (artist manager, CSAM), Torsten Rasch (composer)
Josef Fuchs (casting director, Dutch National Touring Opera), Waut Koeken (intendant, Opera Zuid), Manuela Ochakovski (vocal pedagogue)
Sophie Joyce (casting director, Opéra national de Paris), Alphonse Cemin (conductor & pianist)
Laura Nicorescu (manager, Young Singers Project), Jennifer Condon (conductor)
Nelly Miricioiu (soprano & vocal pedagogue), Gerry Cornelius (music director, English Touring Opera), Sarah Playfair (casting director), Zachary Dickerson (Rayfield Allied)
Julia Lynch (artistic director, Fondazione Mascarade Opera)
Annett Andriesen (mezzo-soprano, former IVC director)
Further jury members may be added.
Repertoire for the Preliminary Selections
- Present one opera aria and one oratorio aria from two different style periods (I: until 1810 · II: 1810-1919 · III: 1920 to today).
- The two arias must be in different languages, performed in their original language and original key.
- Total duration of 8 to 11 minutes. Opera arias are sung from memory; singing oratorio from memory is also expected.
- Singers seeking the Wagner Prize must already perform Wagner in the preliminaries - one Wagner opera aria of at least four minutes, plus one oratorio aria.
Admitted singers fulfil additional repertoire requirements in the Main Rounds, including the world premiere of the commissioned work 'Feathers' by Anne-Maartje Lemereis.
Application timeline
- Applications open via the online portal 1 Dec 2025
- YouTube Group I deadline 4 Mar 2026
- YouTube Group II deadline · final live auditions 23 Jun 2026
- Main Rounds · Theater aan de Parade 2-5 Oct 2026
- Grand Finale with Philzuid · Den Bosch 10 Oct 2026
Applications for the 59th IVC Opera & Oratorio are closed
Applications for the 59th IVC Opera & Oratorio are now closed. The live rounds run 2-10 October 2026 in 's-Hertogenbosch.