menu
menu
The International Vocal Competition (IVC) 2025 Edition competition is titled Theatre in Song and replaces the former IVC LiedDuo competition.
In 2025 the IVC will launch its new competition entitled ‘Theatre in Song’. The format of this competition is different from previous editions of the LiedDuo competition 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.
Theatre in Song is a unique competition to showcase a more dynamic way to present the classical vocal art form of song.
Theatre in Song seeks to inspire artists to engage more fully with audiences in a celebration of voice and music.
Theatre in Song requires artists to be curious, to research, to curate and to present a fully worked through and thematically planned out presentation with the emphasis on communication, dramatic presentation and storytelling.
Theatre in Song encourages artists to think outside of the box as to how they wish to present themselves and their partners in a theatrical presentation.
Theatre in Song is a dramatic presentation of a duration of 40-45 minutes. The presentations are to be developed within themes such as climate change, love, social (in)equality, etc. Each program is to be given a title to reflect its theme.
Theatre in Song repertoire can be drawn from any classical art song compositions; the core art song repertoire of German Lieder and French Melodies may feature as part of this project but presented in a theatrical way together with new works and works that show an awareness of diversity.
Theater aan de Parade,
’s-Hertogenbosch
Netherlands
2025 © International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch
