FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about application
May I bring my own chosen pianist to the competition?
Yes, pianists of own choice may accompany participating singers in all rounds of the competition. Please state bindingly in your application if you want to participate with your own chosen pianist. Accompanying pianists do not have to meet the age requirements for singers. Only if the pianists wish to participate in the awarding of the Special Prize for Pianists, they must be born in 1989 or later.
What if I do not have an own chosen pianist?
When registering for the competition, please state bindingly whether you are participating in the competition with or without your own pianist. If you participate without a pianist of your own choice, you will not be disadvantaged. We will then put you in touch with our competition pianist after the preselection in case you are among the selected participants.
May a pianist participate with more than just one singer in the competition?
Yes, the pianist may accompany several singers. It must be ensured that all singers provide the complete data of the pianist in the application.
Why are there two application forms?
As a singer, you have the possibility to apply for the competition either alone or with your pianist of own choice. If you would like to participate with your own chosen pianist, please choose the form in which you have to give information about the pianist. If you apply without an own chosen pianist, please fill in the other form.
May I also send my application for the competition by e-mail or post?
No, please use only the application form provided on this website to register. Unfortunately, we cannot consider applications by e-mail or post.
I have no recordings that I can transmit digitally. I lack the technical possibilities. What can I do?
Please feel free to contact us by e-mail at info@das-lied.com. If necessary, we can support you with the technical preparation of your application videos or give you advice.
How can I send my application videos for registration?
Please use only file hosting providers on the Internet. There you can upload your videos and provide us with a link via the registration form, where we in turn can download the videos. Simply insert this link at the appropriate place in the form.
Selection of common file hosting providers:
https://wetransfer.com/
https://www.dropbox.com/
https://drive.google.com/
https://www.icloud.com/
Do my recordings sent with the application have to match my chosen competition repertoire?
No, when selecting the video recordings you only have to comply with the requirements according to the competition rules: Send at least one song each by Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert, plus one song by a composer of the German-speaking modern period that was composed in 1960 at the earliest.
You may submit songs by Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert as recordings which you also wish to include in your competition repertoire. Recordings of songs by Franz Schubert that are not part of the competition repertoire (e.g. from his song cycles) are also permitted.
Please do not send more than five video recordings in total.
Which composers are among the representatives of German-speaking modernism?
Choose German-language songs by composers that were composed or published after 1960. We do not give any specifications regarding the composers, you can choose freely. The following composers could be chosen as examples: Aribert Reimann, Wolfgang Rhim, Moritz Eggert, Wolfgang Fortner, Wilhelm Killmayer or Siegfried Matthus. Please contact us if you have any further questions.
Which repertoire and how many songs may I sing in the competition?
When you register, you must bindingly indicate a total of 30 songs that you will prepare for the competition. In 2021, the focus will be on the composers Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann and Aribert Reimann. You may choose from the entire song repertoire of Aribert Reimann and Robert Schumann. When selecting songs by Franz Schubert, you may only choose those that are not part of his song cycles (e.g. Winterreise D.911, Die schöne Müllerin D.795, Schwanengesang D. 957). Select 11 songs by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann each and 8 songs by Aribert Reimann and enter them into the template provided on our website. You can then upload them as part of your application in the registration form. A detailed repertoire overview with the permitted competition repertoire can be found here. Please contact us if you are unsure about the selection or if you want to choose pieces that you think are wrongly not listed in the overview.
May I sing the songs in other voices and keys than those originally composed?
For schubert and Schumann you are allowed to adapt the song to your preferred voice pitch. A song can be performed by any voice. Reimann Lieder may not be performed in a key other than the one composed. Only the voice may be chosen freely.
When will I find out whether I have been admitted to the 2021 competition?
The pre-selection committee will examine all applications – received in full and on time up to and including September, 25, 2020 – during the month of October and will make a selection of participants for the competition that will take place in February. We will inform you whether you are among the participants by October, 30, 2020 at the latest.
What happens if the competition does not take place due to Covid-19 restrictions or I am not allowed to enter Germany from abroad?
The ever-changing circumstances and regulatory requirements to contain the Covid-19 pandemic make it very difficult to make concrete predictions for February 2021. As things stand at present, we firmly believe that the competition will take place as planned. Nevertheless, we would like to make it easier for interested applicants to decide on an application with the following measures:
- If, contrary to expectations, the competition cannot take place at short notice due to official requirements, all applicants who have been admitted to the competition will receive a refund of the participation fee of 100.00 €.
- If participants whose home or place of study is abroad and who are travelling from there are unable to enter Germany due to official travel prohibitions and thus cannot participate in the competition, we will also refund the participation fee of 100.00 € to them. However, this does not apply to obligatory quarantine or testing measures that must be carried out in the course of entering Germany, but only to explicit travel bans.
Questions about the competition
When do I find out in which round I sing which and how much repertoire?
You are free to choose the songs for the first round of the competition according to the competition rules. Admitted participants will be asked to send us their repertoire for the first round in advance. This selection is binding from the time of submission to the project office of the competition.
In case of forwarding to the following competition rounds, the repertoire will be determined during the competition on the day before the respective round according to the competition rules: A part of the repertoire will first be determined by the jury from the competitor’s repertoire at hand, the rest of the selection is up to the participants. Please refer to the competition rules for exact details regarding the length of the performance times, number of songs per composer in the individual rounds etc.
Is there a rating for Liedduos?
No, “Das Lied” is a singing competition explicitly aimed at singers. There will be no evaluation in which the participants are judged as a duo. The jury only evaluates the participating singers. An exception is the special prize for pianists, which the jury awards to one of the pianists who participates together with the singers and fulfils the requirements for the award.
When do I have to travel to Heidelberg? What is the procedure on site?
It is obligatory for participantsto arrive in Heidelberg on February, 21, .2021, the day before the first round of the competition. On this day the accreditation of the participants will take place, information about the general course of the competition will be given and the order of the first round will be drawn by lot. Admitted participants will be informed in detail about the concrete course of the competition days (order of participants, repertoire selection, etc.) after the application phase is completed.
Are travel or accommodation expenses reimbursed?
No, travel to/from the competition in Heidelberg is at the participants’ own expense, as is accommodation in Heidelberg. The participants are also responsible for organizing their own travel and accommodation. We will gladly give hotel recommendations on request.
What do I have to pay attention to when I travel from abroad?
Please take care of all necessary formalities that require entry into Germany on your own. If necessary, we will send you a written invitation to the competition, which you can use to apply for entry visas or similar. Please contact us individually for this purpose.
Will rehearsal slots be provided before during the competition? Will I be able to rehearse with the competition pianist?
We will provide sufficient rehearsal possibilities before each competition round. Those participants who compete with our competition pianist will of course be given the opportunity to rehearse with him immediately before the competition. We will contact the respective persons shortly after the announcement of the participants.
Will the competition be streamed live again in 2021?
Yes, a live stream of all competition rounds is planned, available at www.das-lied.com and Facebook The Song: International Song Competition.
Is there a possibility to get feedback from the jury after the competition?
Yes, the jury is always available for feedback discussions. Admitted participants will be informed during the preparation for the competition when and where these discussions can take place.
Will the 2021 competition also take place if no audience is admitted under the Corona Regulation?
At present we are planning to hold the competition in any case. Of course, we always take the current developments of the pandemic and the requirements of the local health authorities into account and adjust our planning accordingly. Finally, we reserve the right to react to short-term changes in the situation and to cancel the event in special cases if necessary.
Results
The final took place on Sunda, February 10th, 2019 at the Theater Heidelberg. The first prize, endowed with € 15.000 donated by the Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation, went to soprano Nikola Hillebrand from Germany. The 2nd prize (10,000 euros) was shared by mezzo-soprano Yajie Zhang from China and baritone Konstantin Krimmel from Germany. Konstantin Krimmel also received the audience prize (2,000 euros). The 3rd prize (5,000 euros) went to baritone Michael Rakotoarivony from Madagascar. The prize for the most promising future talent (2,500 euros) donated by the Freundeskreis Heidelberger Frühling e.V., went to bass baritone Jeeyoung Lim from South Korea. In his absence, Matthew Fletcher from Great Britain was honoured as the best pianist of the competition (5,000 euros).
Impressions
Repertoire
For the 2019 competition a total of 30 songs from these composers had to be prepared as follows:
Johannes Brahms
(5 Lieder)
Hugo Wolf
(5 Lieder)
Claude Debussy
(5 Lieder)
Maurice Ravel
(5 Lieder)
Charles Ives
(5 Lieder)
Wilhelm Killmayer
(5 Lieder)
Participants were responsible for their own choice of works. Per round at least one song by Wilhelm Killmayer was obligatory.
Jury
Thomas Quasthoff (Vorsitz)
Juliane Banse
John Gilhooly
Charlotte Lehmann
Helga Machreich
Malcolm Martineau
Thorsten Schmidt
Richard Stokes
Competition rules
1. General Information
“Das Lied – International Song Competition” is a highly endowed competition exclusively dedicated to the Lied genre and held every two years in Heidelberg, Germany. The competition is hosted by the International Song Centre Heidelberg (hereinafter named – organizer – ).
2. Registration
a) The 2021 competition is open to singers from all over the world, born in 1989 or later. The application of accompanying pianists together with a singer is possible and explicitly embraced, however the jury will not judge the performances of participants as a Lied-Duo, but solely those of the participating singers. Accompanying pianists born in 1989 or later can only be considered for the awarding of the special prize for Lied pianists. Participating pianists born prior to 1989 can enter the competition; however they will not be evaluated and are not eligible for prizes.
Underaged applicants are responsible for organizing forms and documents to guarantee a smooth access and return travel as well as to obtain all approvals and documents required for participation and to submit them to the organizer. Underage participants must also present approval from all parents or guardians in writing.
The organizer can provide an accompanying pianist on request. This is to be indicated bindingly on submission of the registration by the applicant.
The registration period is open from june, 01, 2020 until September, 25, 2020. Registrations are to be handed in online via www.das-lied.de/registration.
b) To register singers and accompanying pianists (if applicable) must submit the following documentation and information (online via the competitions registration platform):
- a copy of an official passport/ ID-card showing proof of nationality, place and date of birth,
- the provided template (find download on www.das-lied.com) completely and correctly filled with the chosen competition repertoire according to the given requirements (see section 4.b) in this document),
- a biography in English and German, continuous text, ready to print, max. 700 characters (incl. spaces),
- a colour portrait photo in high resolution,
- video recordings of minimum 3, but maximum 5 songs; at least each one by Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert and a composer of German-language modernity (compositions dated after 1960). Videos must not be edited, enhanced or modified in any way and must be less than a year old at time of registration. Please specify the date and place that each and every piece was recorded. The recorded songs do not need to correspond to the competition’s specified repertoire. Furthermore, it is not necessary that the submitted recordings are produced with the pianist who will be registered for the competition together with a singer in case of registration with an own-chosen accompanying pianist.
- A copy of the bank transfer receipt pf the registration fee of € 100,00 as verification
The registration fee of 100 € should be transferred in full, without deduction to:
Account name: Heidelberger Frühling gGmbH
Account No.: 0009311912
Bank code: 67250020
IBAN: DE97 6725 0020 0009 3119 12
BIC (SWIFT): SOLADES1HDB
Reference: ”full name singer / full name accompanying pianist (if exsistant)”
Bank: Sparkasse Heidelberg, Kurfürstenanlage 10-12, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
The registration fee is non-refundable, even in case of withdrawal from the competition. Accompanying pianists do not need to pay a separate fee.
The registration is to be confirmed in writing when the submitted documents are complete and the organizer has established the receipt of the registration fee. Incomplete registrations or false data may lead to an exclusion from the competition. All submitted documents will be kept confidential.
Only fully completed registrations (including payment of registration fee) received by the due date will be considered by the preliminary committee.
3. Preselection
Participants will be chosen for the competition in Heidelberg by a preliminary committee that is assorted by the chair of the jury. This committee will select up to 40 singers (incl. accompanying pianist if applicable) from all applicants that have completed the registration process in full and on time. If all the conditions of entry are met, the choice will be made on the basis of the recordings. The preliminary jury’s deliberations are confidential. There will be no explanations as to decisions made. The preliminary jury’s decision is final and there is no right to appeal.
The list of the chosen participants will be made known on octobre, 30, 2020 latest. All applicants will be informed of the preliminary commission’s decision in writing.
4. Competition
a) The competition will consist of three rounds open to public and will take place February, 22 – 26, 2021. Participants commit themselves to keeping the period February, 22-26, 2021 free from other engagements. The organizer must be informed immediately of any withdrawals from the competition.
Admitted participants from abroad can, if necessary, apply for an entry visa with the written confirmation of participation.
Participants should arrive and need to register in person on february, 21, 2021 in Heidelberg, Germany presenting a valid photo ID. On the same day the order of appearance for the first round will be drawn by lots and the actual programme will be advised. Both the order of appearance and the actual programme for the further rounds will be determined on the evening before each subsequent round.
Participants have the opportunity to warm up and practice during the whole competition. Exact rehearsal schedules will be made known upon registration on February, 21.
All competition rounds will take place in theatre Heidelberg, Germany.
b) For the 2021 competition, applicants (singers and accompanying pianist) shall prepare 11 songs each by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann and 8 songs by Aribert Reimann. Applicants are responsible for their own choice of works but need to consider that the chosen pieces have to add up to a playing time of min. 30 min (F. Schubert, R. Schumann) or respectively min. 20 min (A. Reimann) per composer. The choice of song cycles or parts of those by Robert Schumann and Aribert Reimann are allowed, the approved competition repertoire excludes explicitly all song cycles by Franz Schubert. Applicants submit a binding repertoire of 30 songs incl. an indication of the length of the pieces (in format mm:ss) together with their registration. Therefore the Subsequent changes of the repertoire are not permitted.
Songs must be performed from memory and in their original language. The jury reserves the right to interrupt any performance that overruns.
The repertoire choice of the particular competition rounds (first round, second round, final round) will be determined as followed:
First round:
3 songs from the submitted competition repertoire, entirely chosen by the participant, one song each by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann and Aribert Reimann, total length: max. 10 min
Second round:
5-6 songs from the submitted competition repertoire, two songs therfrom to be chosen by the jury, remaining choice to be made by participant, min two songs by Aribert Reimann, min. one song each by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann, no repetitions from first round, total length: 20 min
Final round:
free selectable count of songs from the submitted competition repertoire, entirely chosen by the participant, at least two songs by Aribert Reimann, no repetitions from first and second round, total length: max. 30 min
c) The following prizes can be awarded:
Main prizes
Singers:
1st prize winner: € 15,000.00
2nd prize winner € 10,000.00
3rd prize winner € 7,500.00
Special prizes
Singers:
Winner audience prize in the final round € 2,000.00
In Addition a funding prize for the most promising future talent can be awarded to the value of €2,500,00
Pianists:
Lied pianist prize € 3,000.00
Prizes will only be awarded if there is an appropriate prizewinner. All prizes can be awarded as shared between multiple participants.
d) The winners of the competition will be chosen by an edgy jury. The evaluation criteria are as follows:
- technical ability,
- musical presentation (rhythm, phrasing, expression),
- diction,
- voice quality
- artistic presence
The jury will decide how these criteria will be applied. The jury’s deliberations are confidential. There will be no explanations as to decisions made. The jury’s decision is final and there is no right to appeal.
No jury member will judge a current or former pupil. Should such a pupil participate, then the said jury member will abstain from marking the candidate in question. Participants are not permitted to make contact with the jury for the duration of the competition.
e) Prize giving will take place after the final round on the evening of February, 26, 2021 at the Theater Heidelberg, Germany.
5. Collection of data and data privacy
The organizer records, uses and stores data solely for the purposes of holding the competition, organizing follow-up events with the prizewinners, and inviting participants to attend future rounds of „Das Lied – International Song Competition“. Such data will be deleted as soon as a participant exceeds the age limit for competing in the competition. The data will not be disclosed to third parties.
You may at any time withdraw permission, in writing, for the further use of your data by the organizer.
6. Rights
By taking part in the competition, participants accept that the organizer and/or its agents may make video and/or audio recordings and/or take photographs (referred to collectively as ‘recordings’) of the performances.
The participant grants the organizer the exclusive right, unlimited in time and sub-licensable to third parties, to use the recordings and/or extracts thereof in all media, in particular to reproduce and broadcast/re-broadcast the recordings, as well as to make them publicly available and play them back in public. The above also includes the right to broadcast/re-broadcast the recordings live and/or at a later date on television and/or radio, as well as to make them publicly available on the internet and mobile portals.
It also includes the right to copy the recordings onto DVD, Blu-ray and/or CD and to distribute these recordings for a fee or free of charge. Participants will receive free copies of the DVD, Blu-ray and/or CD recordings for their private use (but not for distribution).
For the purposes mentioned above, the organizer may also cut and edit the recordings, respecting the rights of the artist to his or her personal integrity.
The above rights shall be granted free of charge as a condition of participation in the competition
7. Consent form
By submitting the online application form to the organizer, participants agree to the following terms and conditions.
The repertoire submitted by the applicant with the application is binding. Retrospective alterations are not possible:
There will be no refund of the application fee if the applicant does not participate. The prizewinners pledge theirselves to perform in a prizewinner concert during the organizer’s festival Neuland.Lied for no fee. However, there shall be no right on the part of the winner to take part.
Furthermore the prizewinners pledge theirselves to include the wording: “Prizewinner of the competition DAS LIED by International Song Centre Heidelberg” in their CV for at least 4 years.
Please note: If there are any doubts regarding the interpretation of the competition conditions, the German text alone is legally binding. The organizer reserves the right to make reasonable changes to the competition’s schedule and program. The decisions of the jury are final and binding in all respects and are not contestable. They are not subject to legal recourse.
Every year thousands of students graduate from music colleges, academies and private schools. They are all highly trained, but how can they turn a vocation into a career? For many graduates the transition to the working world is challenging. Participation in international competitions is often the only chance that students have to appear in front of a wider audience, to measure themselves against their contemporaries and to test that all important stage presence and strength of nerves. To this end “Das Lied” offers event organisers and agents a non-binding opportunity to evaluate young artists and new voices in a competition atmosphere with an high-caliber jury. “Das Lied” also allows the numerous and interested audience, through comparative listening, to learn more about Lied and its interpretations and to enjoy the young hopeful talent.
Thomas Quasthoff
Founder of „Das Lied“
Anna Anstett
Ukrainian pianist Anna Anstett studied at the Donetsk State Academy of Music and as a DAAD scholarship holder at the State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart and at the State College of Music and Performing Arts in Mannheim with Prof. Wolfgang Bloser, Prof. Cornelis Witthoefft, Corinna Korff, Friedrich Rensch, Barbara Baun and Heike-Dorothee Alardt. She attended master classes with Henri Sigfridsson, Axel Bauni, Ulrich Eisenlohr, Burkhardt Kehring and Peter Nelson a. o. At the Moers Music Summer 2015, she won the first prize at the song duo competition „Deutsche Romantik im Lied“ with Lithuanian baritone Modestas Sedlevičius. At the international Brahms competition in Portschach am Worther See the duo was awarded the special prize of KS Gabriele Fontana. At the competition DAS LIED 2017 she was awarded as the best pianist.
Jóhann Kristinsson
Jóhann Kristinsson began his vocal studies with Bergþór Pálsson in Iceland in 2009. In 2015, he began his studies at the „Hanns Eisler” School of Music in Berlin with Prof. Scot Weir, where he received his Masters degree in 2017.
In 2017, Jóhann received the Icelandic Music Awards in the Category „Most Promising Young Artist”. He was also nominated in two further categories, as „Singer of the Year” and “Musical Event of the Year”, for a song recital he gave with pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz. That same year, he won two prizes at the international vocal competition „Das Lied”. In 2019, Jóhann won the prestigious International Vocal Competition, „Stella Maris”. He also received the Jury Award from the Wiener Musikverein.
While studying at the „Hanns Eisler” School of Music in Berlin, Jóhann received lessons from Thomas Quasthoff, Julia Varady and Wolfram Rieger. He has also received guidance from Thomas Hampson, Graham Johnson, Helmut Deutsch, Christian Gerhaher, Kristinn Sigmundsson, Deborah Polaski and Giacomo Aragall among others. From 2017-2019, he was a member of the young artist programme at the Hamburg State Opera. Since then, Jóhann has been invited back as a guest for several productions.
Jóhann has already worked with first-class conductors including Herbert Blomstedt, Kent Nagano, Stefano Ranzani and Giampaolo Bisanti. The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Bamberger Symphoniker, Staatskapelle Halle and Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg are among the symphony orchestras he has performed with. He has appeared at the Schubertiade in Austria, the Heidelberger Frühling Festival, Oxford Lieder Festival and the Dresdner Musikfestspiele.
Victoria Guerrero
After her piano studies with Prof. Dr. Tibor Szasz at the Freiburg University of Music, pianist Victoria Guerrero is currently deepening her studies in Lied with Pauliina Tukiainen and Prof. Matthias Alteheld. She attended master classes with reowned artists such as Anne Le Bozec, Helmut Deutsch, Axel Bauni and Jan Philip Schulze. Victoria Guerrero was a scholarship holder of the Becas Juventudes Musicales Madrid and the Freiburg University of Music. Last year, the versatile pianist could be heard at the Schumann Festival in Bonn and was awarded with the pianist prize of the Paula- Salomon-Lindberg song competition at the Berlin University of the Arts. At the competition DAS LIED 2017 she was awarded as the best pianist.
Samuel Hasselhorn
Starting in season 2018/2019 Hasselhorn joined the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera, where he appears in various roles such as Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), and Conte d’Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) amongst others. His concert engagements include appearances at the Bozar in Brussels, the Konzerthaus and Musikverein in Vienna, the Barbican Hall in London, the concert hall of the Luxembourg Philharmonic, Theater an der Wien, DeSingel in Antwerp, and in the prestigious Camerata Musica concert series in Cambridge. Collaboration partners include pianists Malcolm Martineau, Graham Johnson, and Justus Zeyen.
Highlights of his season 2017/2018 included debuts at the concert hall of the Munich Philharmonic, Wigmore Hall in London, in Frankfurt at the Hessischen Rundfunk, the Schubertiade Vilabertran in Barcelona, the Auditorio Nacional de Musica Madrid, the Tonhalle Zürich and the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
Samuel Hasselhorn was a fellow at the Marlboro Festival in 2017 and was also invited both in 2014 and 2016 to be fellow at the Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute; as well as to sing at Carnegie Hall in Marilyn Horne’s “The Song Continues Series” in 2015. During his U.S. tour in 2017, he made recital debuts in Washington D.C., in New York City, at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and with the Buffalo Chamber Music Society.
In season 2015/2016 he sang the lead role in Der Kaiser von Atlantis by Viktor Ullmann with the Studio de l’Opéra de Lyon. In season 2016/2017, he appeared as Masetto in Mozart’s Don Giovanni as a main stage member of l’Opéra de Lyon, and he made his debut at the Leipzig Opera in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.
His first two CDs “Nachtblicke” and “Dichterliebe²” were released in 2014 and 2018 on the GWK RECORDS label. His third CD will be released by Harmonia Mundi in May 2020.
Samuel Hasselhorn earned his degree in Opera Performance from the Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media with Professor Marina Sandel and at the Paris Conservatory with Malcolm Walker. He received further musical influences in masterclasses with Kiri Te Kanawa, Kevin Murphy, Thomas Quasthoff, Helen Donath, Annette Dasch, Susan Manoff, Jan-Philip Schulze, Anne Le Bozec, and Martin Brauß. Samuel received grants from the Walter and Charlotte Hamel Foundation, the Gundlach Music Award, and was recipient of the prestigious Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. He currently holds the Lindemann Vocal Chair of Young Concert Artists in NYC and works regularly with his voice teacher Patricia McCaffrey.
