Information for Participating Duos & Registration for the Competition
Application Deadline: June 1, 2027
Application: Registration for the competition is only possible via the online portal of the Schubert Competition. The application fee is EUR 100.00 per duo. The registration portal will open in early 2027 and will be linked here.
Age Limit: Duos (Voice & Piano) of all nationalities whose members were both born after September 25, 1994, are eligible to participate in the competition.
Exclusions: Participants who have studied with one or more jury members or received regular private instruction from them within two years prior to the start of the competition are excluded from participating. Masterclasses are not taken into account.
Dates & Places
September 26, 2027 – Arrival & Registration
September 27 & 28, 2027 – 1st Competition | Orchesterzentrum NRW (Dortmund)
September 29 & 30, 2027 – 2nd Compeition Round | Orchesterzentrum NRW (Dortmund)
October 1, 2027 – 3rd Competition Round | Orchesterzentrum NRW (Dortmund)
October 2, 2027 – Final Round Konzerthaus Dortmund
October 3, 2027 – Matinee of the Prize Winners | Kokerei Hansa, Dortmund
Prizes
1st Prize – Prize of the Werner Richard – Dr. Carl Dörken Stiftung: EUR 10,000 and a CD production
2nd Prize – Prize of the Kulturstiftung Dortmund: EUR 8,000
3rd Prize – Prize of the City of Dortmund: EUR 5,000
Audience Award: EUR 2,000
Furthermore, the prizewinners will be offered concert engagements in the Steinway Prizewinner Concert Network, the International Schubert Fest Dortmund, concerts hosted by the Werner Richard – Dr. Carl Dörken Stiftung, the GWK – Gesellschaft zur Förderung der westfälischen Kulturarbeit, der Konzertgesellschaft Schwerte and others.
Competition Repertoire
In addition to the Lieder by Franz Schubert, this year’s guest composer of the Schubert Competition is Johannes Brahms.
Preliminary note for all competition rounds:
Songs from the following cycles must not be selected:
Franz Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin D 795, Winterreise D 911, Schwanengesang D 957
Johannes Brahms: Die schöne Magelone op. 33
Video Pre-selection Round
- 2 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 1 Lied by Johannes Brahms of free choice
The songs for the pre-selection round may not be repeated in the competition program.
The songs may be recorded individually and combined into a single video. However, edits within the works and other manipulations of the video are not permitted.
When selecting your songs for the following competition rounds, please ensure that the specified total duration of the round is not exceeded.
1st Round (15 Minutes)
- Franz Schubert: Am Bach im Frühling (Schober) D 738
- 2 Lieder von Franz Schubert of free choice
- 1 Lied von Johannes Brahms of free choice
2nd Round (30 Minutes)
Soprano:
- Franz Schubert: Im Haine (Bruchmann) D. 738
- two Lieder by Franz Schubert must be selected from the following:
a) Ellens Gesang I (Scott) D. 837
b) Abendstern (Mayrhofer) D. 806
c) Der Zwerg (Collin) D. 771
d) Delphine (Schütz) D. 857
e) Die Sternennächte (Mayrhofer) D.670
f) Ganymed (Goethe) D.544 - 2 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Mezzosoprano / Alto:
- Franz Schubert: Rastlose Liebe (Goethe) D. 138
- two Lieder by Franz Schubert must be selected from the following:
a) Am Grabe Anselmos (Claudius) D. 504
b) Dem Unendlichen (Klopstock) D. 291
c) Schwanengesang (Senn) D. 744
d) Ellens Gesang II (Scott) D. 838
e) Suleikas erster Gesang (v. Willemer/ Goethe) D. 720
f) Viola (Schober) D.786 - 2 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Tenor:
- Franz Schubert: Atys (Mayrhofer) D. 585
- two Lieder by Franz Schubert must be selected from the following:
a) Drang in die Ferne (Leitner) D. 770
b) Nachtstück (Mayrhofer) D. 672
c) Wehmut (Collin) D. 772
d) An den Mond in einer Herbstnacht (Schreiber) D. 614
e) Auflösung (Mayrhofer) D. 807
f) Willkommen und Abschied (Goethe) D: 767 - 2 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Baritone:
- Franz Schubert: Dass sie hier gewesen (Rückert) D. 775
- two Lieder by Franz Schubert must be selected from the following:
a) Die Sterne (Leitner) D. 939
b) Fahrt zum Hades (Mayrhofer) D. 526
c) Die Götter Griechenlands (Schiller) D. 677
d) Sei mir gegrüßt (Rückert) D. 741
e) Tiefes Leid (Schulz) D. 876
f) An die Leier (Bruchmann) D. 737 - 2 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Bass:
- Franz Schubert: Auf der Donau (Mayrhofer) D. 553
- two Lieder by Franz Schubert must be selected from the following:
a) Der Geistertanz (Matthisson) D. 116
b) Das Abendrot (Schreiber) D. 627
c) Auf dem See (Goethe) D. 543
d) Totengräbers Heimweh (Craigher) D. 842
e) Auf dem Wasser zu singen (Stolberg) D. 774
f) Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren (Mayrhofer) D. 360 - 2 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
3. Round (45 Minutes)
Sopran
- Franz Schubert: Nähe des Geliebten (Goethe) D. 162
- Franz Schubert: Die Blumensprache (Platner) D. 519
- Franz Schubert: Der Jüngling und der Tod (Spaun) D. 828
- Franz Schubert: Gretchen am Spinnrade (Goethe) D. 118
- 2-3 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2-3 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Mezzosoprano / Alto
- Franz Schubert: Du liebst mich nicht (Platen) D. 756
- Franz Schubert: Nacht und Träume (Collin) D. 827
- Franz Schubert: Am See (Bruchmann) D. 746
- Franz Schubert: Die junge Nonne (Craigher) D. 828
- 2-3 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2-3 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Tenor
- Franz Schubert: An die untergehende Sonne (Schlegel) D. 457
- Franz Schubert: Versunken (Goethe) D. 715
- Franz Schubert: Der zürnenden Diana (Mayrhofer) D. 707
- Franz Schubert: Abendlied für die Entfernte (Schlegel) D. 856
- 2-3 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2-3 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Baritone
- Franz Schubert: Auf der Bruck (Schulze) D. 853
- Franz Schubert: Des Fischers Liebesglück (Leitner) D. 933
- Franz Schubert: Abendbilder (Silbert) D. 650
- Franz Schubert: Selige Welt (Senn) D: 743
- 2-3 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2-3 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Bass
- Franz Schubert: Sehnsucht 2. Fassung (Schiller) D. 636
- Franz Schubert: Das Heimweh (Pyrker) D. 851
- Franz Schubert: Das Zügenglöcklein (Seidl) D. 871
- Franz Schubert: Greisengesang (Rückert) D. 778
- 2-3 Lieder by Franz Schubert of free choice
- 2-3 Lieder by Johannes Brahms of free choice
Final Round (45 Minutes)
For the final round, exclusively songs by Franz Schubert must be selected. 3 duos will be admitted to the final round, each of whom is to design and present a song recital lasting approximately 45 minutes. The songs of the final round must follow a programmatic guiding theme. You may moderate your finale and/or you can – but are not required to – summarize your ideas or what you would like to convey to the audience and the jury in a text beforehand, which you must submit to the competition office before the start of the competition and which will be printed in the final round program booklet. The format of the presentation is free. There are no mandatory requirements regarding the selection of songs, subject only to the following restrictions:
- No songs already performed in previous competition rounds or the video pre-selection may be repeated in the final round.
- The restriction that no songs from the previously mentioned cycles may be chosen also applies to the final round.
- Only songs by Franz Schubert may be selected for the final round.
Jury
The jury of the competition is chaired by artistic director Ingeborg Danz. The other jury members will be announced in due course.
Host families
The International Schubert Competition Dortmund can offer a limited number of free private rooms in host families. This offer applies only to competition participants and not to their accompanying persons. If you wish to make use of this offer, please indicate this in the online portal when applying. Should fewer private rooms be available than the number of participants who have expressed a desire for accommodation, the earlier receipt of the application shall be decisive. Travel expenses will not be reimbursed.
Conditions of Participation
Age limit
Duos (Voice & Piano) of all nationalities whose members were both born after September 25, 1994, are eligible to participate in the competition.
Exclusion Criteria
Participants who have studied with one or more jury members or received regular private instruction from them within two years prior to the start of the competition are excluded from participating. Masterclasses are not taken into account.
Application and Deadline
Registration for the competition is exclusively possible via the online portal, which will open for applications in early 2027. Only complete applications will be accepted. Applications via email are not possible. The following must be attached to the registration in the online portal:
– Your competition program
– High-resolution portrait photos, no older than two years, which may be used by the competition in all publications and for public relations work. If applicable, name of the photographer, provided that attribution is required upon use.
– The link to your pre-selection video
The submission of a curriculum vitae is neither necessary nor planned. Neither the pre-selection jury nor the competition jury will be provided with the participants’ CVs, and therefore it has no influence on whether you are invited to the competition. The pre-selection jury decides on invitations solely based on the artistic performance in the pre-selection video. Accordingly, the pre-selection video is of very high importance. Even during the competition, the jury receives no information about your CV, places of study, teachers, etc., as the Schubert Competition aims for an evaluation based exclusively on the performances rendered during the competition. The only information the jurors receive upon arrival in Dortmund regarding the participating duos are names, vocal categories, dates of birth, and the competition program.
The application deadline is June 1, 2027.
Application fee
The registration fee is €100.00. Payment is made via PayPal or bank transfer. Please note that in the case of payment by bank transfer, you must ensure that the payment arrives in the competition’s account before the application deadline. The application fee is non-refundable.
Registration is only complete upon payment of the application fee. The fee must be received by the Schubert Competition before the deadline.
Invitation to the competition
After the application deadline, the pre-selection committee will review all pre-selection videos and decide which participants will be admitted to the competition. All applicants are expected to be notified of the result by email in June 2027, depending on the number of applications received. The decisions of the jury cannot be appealed and do not require justification. There is no legal right to participate in the competition. Candidates who wish to withdraw their participation in the competition must inform the competition office immediately. In this case, the application fee will not be refunded.
Competition Rounds
The 1st to 3rd competition rounds will take place at the Orchesterzentrum NRW, the finale at the Konzerthaus Dortmund, and the prize winners’ matinee at the Kokerei Hansa industrial monument. Registration and the drawing of the order of appearance will take place at the Orchesterzentrum NRW. Participants who fail to appear for registration on time or miss their competition performance cannot demand to be heard.
All works must be performed from memory by the singers.
The specified competition repertoire and the regulations stated therein are binding for the competition program. Changes to the competition program are no longer possible after the application deadline.
Prize Winners’ matinee
The prize winners’ matinee will take place in the “Salzlager” of the Kokerei Hansa industrial monument in Dortmund as part of the program of IGA 2027 (International Garden Exhibition). Uncompensated participation in this event by the prize winners is mandatory. Prizes are expected to be accepted in person. The program for the matinee will comprise works from the participants’ respective competition repertoires and will be compiled by the jury after the final.
Instruments & Practicing
Practicing rooms will be available at the Orchesterzentrum NRW during the competition. The rooms are equipped with either a grand piano or an upright piano. Practicing may also be possible in some of the host families. All participants will have sufficient time to prepare in a rehearsal room reserved for them with a grand piano prior to their respective performance. A Steinway D grand piano will be provided for the competition rounds and the final.
Miscellaneous
Following the competition, prize winners are obligated not to state any titles or awards in their future careers other than those actually conferred upon them. The competition reserves the right to correct any false statements made in the press and to take legal action.
The V. LiedDuo Competition 2027 will be broadcast in part via live stream on the competition’s website and YouTube channel. The competition retains the right to create radio, television, video, film recordings, and/or photographs of all rounds and of the prize winners’ matinee for media or other purposes without payment of a fee to the competition participants or their representatives. Furthermore, the competition holds the right to produce and distribute recordings (such as vinyl records, CDs, audio cassettes, videos, etc.) of all rounds, particularly the prize winners’ concert, in whole or in part without limitation on the number of copies, or to commission third parties with their production and distribution.