The International Singing Competition for Young Opera Singers
Final Rounds: May 30 through June 06, 2020 in Jurmala (Latvia)

International Belvedere Singing Competition: Finals 2020 in Jurmala cancelled

The final rounds and the finals of this year's International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition have to be cancelled. All singers who have already qualified will automatically be in the final rounds next year.

"We are very sorry. We tried until the very end to make the finale week happen. However, the worldwide effects of the pandemic make it impossible to hold a final event and award the prize winners this year," explain organisers Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck. Initially, it seemed that a postponement to autumn was possible, but now our partners in the Latvian city of Jurmala, where the finals should have taken place, have finally cancelled the event.
Therefore, the qualification rounds still planned for this year were stopped and postponed to next year – with the exception of the qualifying rounds on 21st August in Irkutsk (Russia), on 4th September in Varazdin (Croatia), on 13th September in Zurich (Switzerland) and on 23rd September in Madrid (Spain). All these auditions will count towards the final rounds in 2021. So far 201 out of 619 already registered singers have participated in qualifying rounds in 20 (out of 70 planned) cities, 38 of them have already qualified. Their commitment has not been in vain; they now have the chance to prove their skills in the 2021 final rounds and win cash prizes and attractive engagements at the world's most important opera houses. Singers whose qualifying rounds could not take place may decide whether their applications remain valid for 2021 or whether they would like to have their fees refunded.
The International Belvedere Competition will be continued next year. "We want to continue to offer young people the chance of an international opera career," say the organisers. Negotiations for a venue for the final rounds and the 2021 finals are already under way. Current developments will be announced as soon as possible on the homepage www.belvedere-competition.com.

Monika Unegg
Press Officer
unegg@belvedere-competition.com

Isabella Gabor & Holger Bleck
General Management
office@belvedere-competition.com

Why Participate?

1061 Singers

The Belvedere Competition is one of the largest competitions for young opera singers in the world. 1061 singers participated in 2019. Become part of the global singing elite and start your international opera career!

53% Engagement Ratio

8 engagements were awarded by the Opera Jury in 2019 to the 15 finalists. This makes a commitment rate of 53.3%.

Finalists from previous year

27 Jury Members

The Opera Jury in the final rounds is composed exclusively with opera and casting directors of the most prestigious opera houses, who award additional engagements to the participants. The international Media Jury in the final rounds awards the additional Media Prize.

List of all jury members

19 Professional Observers

Numerous singers’ agents and representatives – 45 in 2019 – of international opera and concert houses visit the final rounds as observers. They have made the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition into a veritable “Wall Street of Voices”. It’s your “springboard” to a career in opera.

List of registered observers

71 Qualification Cities

The international qualifying rounds are held each year on all continents and gives young, highly talented opera singers the best access to the professional opera world.

List of all cities