A world famous competition

The competition is named after one of the world’s greatest Wagner singers, the Danish Tenor Lauritz Melchior, and in addition to honouring him, the competition also aims to find and profile the best new Wagner singers of today worldwide, as well as putting Aalborg and the North Jutland region on the musical world map. Untill she abdicated in January 2024, HM Queen Margrethe has been patron of the competition.

The objectives of the competition are:

To venerate and honour one of the greatest Wagnerian tenors, Lauritz Melchior
to identify and profile the best young Wagnerian singers of today
to place Aalborg, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra and Musikkens Hus on the musical world map

It is the fifth time that the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra has organized and hosted the competition.
Founded by the Danish Wagner tenor Poul Elming the competition first took place in 2010 and as he
dreamed of The Lauritz Melchior International Singing Competition has developed into a prestigious
competition that resonates in international Wagner circles. The competition altso took place in 2014, 2017 and 2020.

The repertoire is demanding, and with an acclaimed international judging panel, the quality is high, so that only the most ambitious and the best can participate. All previous winners have subsequently established themselves with international careers. The previous winners are Allison Denise Oakes (UK), Tina-Maija Koskela (FIN), Cornelia Beskow (S) and Margrethe Fredheim (N).

The Lauritz Melchior International Singing Competition is open to all singers up to and including 42 years old (born 1982 or later) of all vocal ranges and nationalities. The 1st prize is € 20.000.

Prizes

1st prize: € 20.000 (sponsored by Spar Nord Fonden)
2nd prize: € 12.000 (sponsored by Pier 5 Hotels)
3rd prize: € 6.000
4th prize: € 3.000

Orchestra prize: € 1.000
Audience prize

The winner of The Lauritz Melchior International Singing Competition 2024 will also receive invitations to attend open casting auditions at the following opera houses and festivals:

The Metropolitian Opera, New York
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Berliner Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Bayerische Staatsoper
Welsh National Opera
Norwegian National Opera
The Royal Danish Opera
Opéra national de Paris
Gothenburg Opera
Grazer Oper
Wiener Staatsoper
Royal Swedish Opera
Staatsoper Hamburg