56th International
Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch
Category: LiedDuo
Rules & Regulations
1. General Conditions
2. Application
3. The Competition
4. Programme & Repertoire
5. Prizes
6. Facilities
7. Liability
8. Juridical
1. General Conditions
1.1. The 2023 LiedDuo category
of the 56th International Vocal Competition
’s-Hertogenbosch (“the Competition”) will take place in ’s-Hertogenbosch,
between 10 to 15 October 2023 inclusive.
1.1a. The 56th Competition in 2023 has one category: LiedDuo.
1.2. The Competition is open
to professional singer-pianist duos of all nationalities who:
a. are born on 16 October 1990 or later (singers)*, or born on 16 October 1987 or later (pianists);
b. are not younger than 18 years;
c. have completed their professional education or are currently in their final
year and aim for a professional career or have an equivalent level of training.
1.3. Duos wishing to enter the Competition must take part in the IVC First Rounds via YouTube video recording. Deadline: 1 May 2023 (Group I). Deadline: 27 June 2023 (Group II).
1.4. The management of the IVC can decide whether prize-winners from other competitions or past IVC competitions may be admitted directly to the Semi-finals.
1.5. In the LiedDuo category singers must enrol with their regular recital partner for the First Round, who will be the Participant's permanent pianist for the Semi-finals and Finals of the Competition proper. Singer and pianist duos may only participate as one combination in the Competition, i.e. pianists cannot enrol with multiple singers.
1.7. All decisions of the jury shall be final, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding its decisions.
1.8. The official language during the competition is English.
1.9. Timetable 56th International Vocal Competition ’s-Hertogenbosch LiedDuo:
Tuesday, 10 October 2023
8 pm | Official Opening 56th Competition including a recital by Erollyn Wallen and premiere of the compulsory work "Veronese's Green" by composer Bart Visman and poet Marc Pantus.
Wednesday, 11 October 2023
7 pm | Semi-finals I
Thursday, 12 October 2023
7 pm | Semi-finals II
Friday, 13 October 2023
3 pm | Masterclass Erollyn Wallen
8.15 pm | Recital IVC finalists of the past: Esther
Valentin & Anastasia Grishutina, Sophia Burgos & Daniel Gerzenberg
Saturday, 14 October 2023
1 pm | Masterclass Nino Gvetadze
3.30 pm | Masterclass Sophie Koch
8.15 pm | Recital Bo Skovhus & Stefan Vladar. Schubert: Winterreise
Sunday, 15 October 2023
2 pm | Lecture Literature & Art Song by Daniel Gerzenberg. 'Why poetry matters'
4 pm | Finals
Monday, 16 October 2023
4 pm | Live radio performance prizewinners NPO Radio 4
2. Application
2.1. Applications can only be
made via the online portal on the competition’s website (ivc.nu). The
application is only definite after the Participant has paid the application fee
and submitted all required information and documentation correctly.
2.2. Application and entry fee:
Payment and inscription deadlines for the first rounds are announced on our
website.
Entry fee for the First Round: € 70 (per duo)
Entry fee for the competition proper, in case the duo gets through the First
Round: € 180 (per duo)
Payment and inscription deadline for the Competition proper: 8 August 2023.
Participants can pay the entry fee via the application portal on the IVC
website.
Accepted payment methods: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, PayPal.
The entry fee will not be refunded to Participants who withdraw from the
Competition after acceptance.
3. The Competition
3.1. If the duo gets through to the next rounds of the Competition, they will be informed about the exact schedule in due course.
3.2. The sequence of performance will be decided by the Competition.
3.3. The members of the Jury of the Competition: Bo Skovhus (chair), Sophie Koch, Erollyn Wallen, Stefan Vladar, Nino Gvetadze, Hans Eijsackers.
3.4. Participants shall not communicate with jury members during the Competition, nor shall any other person communicate with the jury members on behalf of any competitor. Violation of this rule will result in disqualification from the Competition.
3.5. Following the Semi-finals, each duo not selected to go through to the Finals, may have a personal consultation with a member of the jury. A request for this consultation session must be submitted to the IVC secretariat by the participant.
3.6. Should a participant be a regular student of one of the members of the jury, the latter will abstain from the jury deliberations in his or her respect.
3.7. The jury will not permit the stated performance time to be exceeded under any circumstances. Participants who exceed their time limit might be interrupted or stopped during their performance.
3.8. The jury has the right not to grant a prize.
3.9. The Semi-finals and Finals are open to the public. Therefore, appropriate dress is advised for the Semi-finals. Evening dress is advised for the Finals.
3.10. All participants entering the Competition proper shall provide the organisation with legible (not annotated) copies of the sheet music of their complete repertoire before 8 August 2023 via the online application portal.
3.11. The organisation cannot provide photocopying facilities during the Competition.
4. Programme & Repertoire
4.1. The songs must be performed in the original language and for the various voice types authorized key.
4.2. The songs must be sung from memory. Sheet music is allowed for the compulsory vocal work by Bart Visman. Singing from memory, however, is preferred for this piece as well.
4.3. German core repertoire: Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Hugo Wolf, Richard Strauss.
4.4. French core repertoire: Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, Henri Duparc, Maurice Ravel, Francis Poulenc, Reynaldo Hahn.
4.5. Participants compile their programmes themselves. The songs must be performed in the program sequence specified by the participants.
4.6. Participants must clearly state their programmes, including name of composer (with year of birth and year of death, if applicable), title song, title song cycle, and performance time of each work.
4.7. The Competition is divided into three Rounds: First Round, Semi-finals and the Finals.
Repertoire First Round:
• 2 German songs and 1 French
song from the core repertoire, or 1 German song and 2 French songs from the
core repertoire
• 1 or more songs free choice
• At least 3 different languages
• At least 1 song composed after 1920 (this can overlap with other
requirements)
• A minimum of 13 minutes and a maximum of 15 minutes
4.8. After admission via the First Round, the programs for the Semi-Finals and
Finals of the Competition must be submitted by the participants.
• Repertoire from the First
Round may be repeated.
• Participants may not repeat repertoire from the Semi-Finals in the Finals, except for the song composed by a female composer.
• At least 3 different languages per round
• A minimum of 4 languages total, divided between Semi-Finals and Finals. The
compulsory work "Veronese’s Green" does not count towards this total.
4.9. Repertoire Semi-Finals:
• At least 2 German songs and 1 French song from the core repertoire, or at least 2 French songs and 1 German song from the core repertoire
• The compulsory work is performed by all duos in the Semi-Finals, they indicate themselves where in their program
• 1 song by a female composer. This song may be especially composed for the competition if the duo prefers that. If one or both members of the duo are female, it can be a composition by one of the members of the duo as well.
• At least 1 song free choice
• At least 1 song composed after 1920 (this can overlap with the other requirements). The compulsory work does not count towards this total
• A minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 22 minutes, incl. the compulsory work (05:00)
4.10. Repertoire Finals:
• At least 2 German songs and 1 French song from the core repertoire, or at least 2 French songs and 1 German song from the core repertoire
• 1 song by a female composer (duos may repeat the song performed in the Semi-finals, a different song by a female composer may also be performed)
• 1 song by a Dutch composer (not necessarily in Dutch)
• At least 1 song free choice
• At least 2 songs composed after 1920 (this can overlap with the other requirements)
• A minimum of 28 minutes and a maximum of 30 minutes
4.11. Sheet music of the compulsory work "Veronese’s Green" by Bart Visman is available as PDF-files via the IVC website for perusal only from June 2023. Participants selected for the Semi-Finals receive clean copies of the sheet music.
4.12. Deadline for payment of Competition inscription fee and complete repertoire list and programmes for the Semi-Finals and Finals of the 56th Competition: 8 August 2023. Participants are allowed to present minor changes to their repertoire and programmes until 15 August 2023. After this date no requests for changes will be accepted.
5. Prizes
The Competition awards the following prizes:
Eugène Pannebakker LiedDuo
Prize € 7,500
The Eugène Pannebakkerfonds is the main sponsor of this Prize.
Staetshuys Fund Prize € 3,500
Second Prize for a duo from the Finals, made available by the Staetshuys Fund.
Van Riemsdijk Prize € 3,000
Awarded to the Duo that according to the jury is the best interpreter of the compulsory piece by Bart Visman and Marc Pantus. The compulsory piece will be performed by all Duos in the Semi-Finals. Two Duos will be nominated to perform the composition during the Finals on the 15th of October 2023. The Truus und Gerrit van Riemsdijk Stiftung is sponsor of the IVC.
Van Amelsvoort Prize € 2,500
A special prize is available for the best rendition of a song composed by a female composer. This song may be especially composed for the competition if the duo prefers that. If one or both members of the duo are female, it can be a composition by one of the members of the duo as well.
Friends of the IVC Prize €
2,000
The winning Duo will be chosen during the Semi-finals.
Rudolf Jansen Prize € 1,500
The Rudolf Jansen Prize is named after the famous Dutch pianist Rudolf Jansen
and will be awarded to a pianist that has made it to the LiedDuo Finals and who
according to the jury has distinguished him or herself technically,
interpretation wise, stylistically and by his or her sensibility.
ANED Fund Audience Prize € 1,500
During the Finals the public decides to which Duo the Audience Prize will be awarded.
Press Prize € 1,000
The Press Jury will choose the winner of this Prize during the Semi-Finals.
Junior Jury Prize € 500
The Junior Jury consists of students of various Dutch Conservatories. The
winner will be decided upon after the Semi-finals.
Various Laureates' Concerts
and Engagements
Various concerts and engagements are offered. Complete listing published on the
IVC website.
6. Facilities
6.1. The Competition will supply the following:
a) Reimbursement of pre-agreed reasonable travel expenses of those participants who are admitted to the Finals (with a maximum of € 500), based on their travel documents
b) Accommodation (for participants only) in private family homes in the ’s-Hertogenbosch area. Participants who prefer hotel accommodations must make their own arrangements and cover the costs themselves. A list of hotels can be mailed upon request. Participants can stay with their host families for the totality of the Competition proper, even when they are not chosen to be part of the next round.
6.2. Several rehearsal rooms with piano will be available, but only for limited periods of time. Rehearsal time will be divided equally among participants. A detailed schedule will be provided before arrival.
6.3. Participants not selected to proceed to the Finals are welcome to attend and to participate in all other IVC activities, although seats must be reserved for the Finals. This can be done at the IVC secretariat until 4 pm on 14 October 2023. Only finalists receive 2 free tickets for their family. We will announce which other activities can be attended by duos who have not reached the Finals.
6.4. The Competition will host Masterclasses by members of the jury for participants who have not been selected to proceed to the Finals. These participants will be selected by the jury and IVC management and will be informed after the Semi-finals. Participants are welcome to be in the audience during all Masterclasses.
6.5. Participants are encouraged to stay after they might have been eliminated from the competition for the purpose of participating in additional courses from professionals in the field on career development and further coaching.
7. Liability
7.1. The obtaining of appropriate travel documents, visas and insurance is the sole responsibility of each competitor. The Competition accepts no liability of any kind whatsoever for any personal illness or injury sustained by the competitor, nor for loss or damage to a competitor’s belongings during transit or while at the competition. Medical costs, of whatever nature, will not be reimbursed by the IVC. A doctor will be on call for the duration of the Competition in case of any medical emergency.
7.2. Host families shall not be held responsible for accidents or damage of any kind which may befall the participants, with the exception of those accidents that fall under third party insurance.
7.3. Participants must refrain from all professional engagements or duties during the Competition. Exceptions can only be made at the discretion of the IVC directorate.
8. Juridical
8.1. By submitting the application form through the website, applicants state their agreement:
a) with all articles in the regulations;
b) with all ensuing engagements as part of any prize.
c) that all concert and recording engagements obtained by the Competition or its designates as part of the prizes will not be subject to any fee payable to the prize-winner’s current or future artist management;
d) that the competition is authorized to record, videotape, film, broadcast, or photograph any Competition concerts or events for any purpose, without payment of any fee. All rights, including copyright in such media shall vest in and be owned by the Competition in perpetuity. Photographs or video recordings cannot be made by any other parties without prior written permission of the IVC.
8.2. All rights reserved. Programme subject to change.