Oper Leipzig Composition Competition

The search for the truth – noble goal or lost labor of love? Countless clever minds – from philoso-phers and politicians to religious and business leaders – have grappled with the question of what truth is, and how to attain it, and have come up with different answers. More than that, they’ve come up with more questions: Can two truths contradict one another? Is truth really only a daughter of Time, as Leonardo da Vinci claimed? What role (or roles) does truth play in today’s world, where terms such as Fake News, Alternative Facts, and Lügenpresse are on the lips of the people? Is there even such a thing as one truth?

For an opera house, the question of what role the subject of truth plays in art and for artists is an exciting one. For this reason, the Oper Leipzig invites young composers to artistically confront the subject of truth as part of a composition competition on the theme of “Wahrheiten – Truths.” The goal of the competition – here in its second iteration – is to not only promote young artists, but to additionally encourage them to engage in artistic debate on socially relevant issues. The focus of the competition is mankind’s oldest instrument: the voice.

• Confronted with the theme »Wahrheiten«, or “truths,” composers should write a piece for voice (voice type freely selectable) and piano.

• Texts can be freely chosen.

• Performance duration should not exceed 10 minutes.

• The competition is open to composers under the age of 35 of all nationalities.

• The composition may not have been previously performed, published, or submitted for other competitions, either in part or in full.

• Each composer may submit only one composition.

• Five copies of the score are to be submitted. The score must be clearly legible. As the compositions will be judged anonymously, composer names and signatures must be kept off the score. Details about the composer’s identity (name, date of birth, address, telephone number, email, short biography) should be included in a separate envelope in the submission envelope.

• Participating composers grant the Oper Leipzig permission to perform the world premiere as a part of the Winners’ Concert on June 22, 2021. Composers agree to provide performance materials free of cost and copyright to the Oper Leipzig.

• The submission deadline is January 31, 2021. Entries are to be sent to: Oper Leipzig | »Kompositionswettbewerb« | Augustusplatz 12 | 04109 Leipzig

• Following the awards ceremony, one copy of the score will be kept by the Oper Leipzig for its archives. The remaining copies will be returned to the composer only if 1) expressly wished and 2) the composer provides shipping costs for the remaining scores.

• An independent, five-member jury will choose three works from all submissions, which will be world premiered on June 22, 2021.

• The jury comprises:

- Jury Chairman -

Prof. Ulf Schirmer

Intendant and General Music Director of the Oper Leipzig 

- Jury Members -

Salome Kammer

Professor for Voice (Theory and Practice in New Music Performance), Hochschule für Musik und Theater München 

Prof. Gerd Kühr

Professor of Compositon and Music Theory, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz

Joscha Schaback 

Senior Promotion Manger, Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG

Olaf Wegener 

Project Management, Förderprojekte Zeitgenössische Musik, Deutscher Musikrat 

• Scores will be given anonymously to jury members. The jury’s decision is final and incontrovertible.

• The three finalists’ compositions will receive their world premiere during a Winner’s Concert on June 22, 2021, in the Konzertfoyer of the Oper Leipzig.

• The jury’s final decision and the awards ceremony will immediately follow the world premieres.

• The Förderkreis der Oper Leipzig e.V will provide prize money in the amount of 3000 €. The prize money can be shared.

Oper Leipzig | »Kompositionswettbewerb« | Dramaturgie

Augustusplatz 12 | 04109 Leipzig | Tel: +49 (0)341-1261 307 | geltinger@oper-leipzig.de