Antonin Dvorak's International Singing Competition
07. - 14. 11. 2025 / Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
The International Antonin Dvorak Singing Competition has been established in Karlovy Vary almost 60 years ago. The Competition , initially for students of art schools, over the years became recognized international competition. Every year there are taking part 80 – 110 singers, practically from the whole world, in 4 different categories: JUNIOR, OPERA, SONG and OPERA HOPES.
In the contest of the SONG the special emphasises is placed on interpretation of contemporary creation besides the songs by Antonin Dvorak and songs of the romantic period.
The contests for the JUNIOR (up to 24 years of age included) and OPERA (up to 35 years of age included) run in three rounds. In the first two rounds with piano accompaniment among competition tasks there are arias from the period of baroque, classicism, romantism, creation by Antonin Dvorak till the works of the 20th century. The third round of the contest of JUNIOR and OPERA – one aria of the contestant´s choice , as well as the concert of laureates – the finalists of the competition are singing with the Karlovy Vary Sympphony Orchestra.
Nearly sixty years of the competition have opened the way to success and career for many Czech and foreign singers. Several names from the history of the Competition: Gabriela Beňačková, Edita Grúberová, Magdaléna Hajóssyová, Eva Urbanová, Marie Burešová, Roman Janál, Pavol Bršlík, Marina Vyskvorkina, Marina Domasenko, Jana Sýkorová, Katerina Knežíková, Lee Sang Min, Lívia Vénosová, Adam Plachetka, Richard Samek, Barbora Perná and others.
The Competition is judged by international professional jury of 11 members as a rule. Its chairmen or members were in the last years, a.g.: Ivo Žídek, Eva Randová, Andrej Kucharský, František Vajnar, Walter Berry, Gabriela Beňaková, Sona Ghazarian, Antonio Carangelo, Jürgen Hartfiel and others. In the recent years the Chairman of the professional jury was Mr. Peter Dvorský, significant personality of opera singing, and Mr. Jiří Nekvasil, director od the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava.
Since 2001 the organizer of the Competition has been a non-profit organization called the International Antonin Dvorak Vocal Centre Karlovy Vary with the founders Antonin Dvorak – grand-son of the famous composer, opera singer Peter Dvorský and conductor Libor Pešek.
In addition to the main prizes the participants of the final rounds gain interpretation prizes and offers of guest appearance in opera roles, these prizes are awarded by all opera stages of the Czech Republic incl. the National Theatres in Prague, Brno, Ostrava, the National Theatre Bratislava, the Antonin Dvorak Society, the Czech Radio, the International Music Festival Prague Spring and others.