Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition 2025 Public Final: Tuesday 25 November, 6pm Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford, OX2 6UD Bampton Classical Opera is pleased to announce its seventh biennial Young Singers’ Competition, launched in 2013 to celebrate the company’s 20th birthday. It is now well established and identifies, rewards and nurtures some of the country’s most talented young professional singers aged 21-32 and their accompanists. The previous winners are mezzo-soprano Anna Starushkevych (2013), soprano Galina Averina (2015), mezzo-soprano Emma Stannard (2017), soprano Lucy Anderson (2019), soprano Cassandra Wright (2021) and mezzo-soprano Melissa Gregory (2023). In 2017 an Accompanists’ Prize was introduced, and the first winner was Keval Shah. Bampton Classical Opera has a reputation for its commitment to young talent, and a number of singers who have appeared on the Bampton stage have gone on to work with national companies such as The Royal Opera, English National Opera and Opera North.
The first round of the Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition 2025 (closed sessions) will take place on 1 and 2 November in London. The public final on Tuesday 25 November will take place in the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford OX2 6UD, at 6pm. This is always an entertaining and thrilling event, and a chance to hear some remarkable performances. Judges for the competition include two internationally renowned British singers: tenor Bonaventura Bottone and mezzo-soprano Jean Rigby, and esteemed vocal coach Ingrid Surgenor.
Applications open for the 2025 competition on Sunday 31 March, and the entry deadline is Thursday 31st August 2025.
The online application form will be on the Bampton Classical Opera website (www.bamptonopera.org) from the middle of March, but available on request before then from ysc@bamptonopera.org.
First (Closed) Round:
Venue: Craxton Studios, 14 Kidderpore Avenue, London NW3 7SU
Date: Saturday 1 November, Sunday 2 November, 2025
Final (Public) Round:
Venue: Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford OX2 6UD
Date: Tuesday 25 November, 6pm
First prize £2,000 – Second prize £1,000
Accompanists’ Prize - £750
First Round
15-minute performance maximum. Applicants will prepare three items from which the jury will choose to hear two. One work should be an 18th-century aria.
Final
20-minute performance maximum. Varied and balanced programme of contrasting items to include opera and song. At least one work should be in English and one should be an 18th-century aria. One repetition from the first round will be allowed.
Eligibility
This competition is open to UK residents aged between 21 and 32 on 25 November, 2025.
Listings
Booking for tickets for the Final will open at the beginning of September.
Information
Website: www.bamptonopera.org
Telephone: 07500 827264
Email: nina@bamptonopera.org
Registered Charity No. 1080541
For further information, please contact:
Margaret Skeet PR
Tel: 020 8351 0726/ 07855 707418
margaret@margaretskeet.com
Previous Winners:
2013 Winner: Anna Starushkevych (mezzo-soprano) Second Prize: Rosalind Coad (soprano)
2015 Winner: Galina Averina (soprano) Second Prize: Céline Forrest (soprano)
2017 Winner: Emma Stannard (mezzo-soprano) Second Prize: Wagner Moreira (tenor)
Accompanists’ Prize: Keval Shah
2019 Winner: Lucy Anderson (soprano) Joint Second Prize: Daniella Sicari (soprano) and Carolyn Holt (mezzo-soprano) Accompanists’ Prize: Dylan Perez
2021 Winner: Cassandra Wright (soprano) Second Prize: Jessica Cale (soprano)
Accompanists’ Prize: Ilan Kurtser
2023 Winner: Melissa Gregory (mezzo-soprano) Second Prize: Kieron-Connor Valentine (countertenor) Accompanists’ Prize: André Bertoncini