Regulations for the 15th Klaudia Taev Competition (2027)

The 15th Klaudia Taev Competition for Opera Singers takes place on 5 – 10 September 2027 in Pärnu, Estonia.

Registration for the Competition will be open from 1 April to 1 June 2027.

Applications are accepted from:

  • women born after 11 September 1996;
  • men born after 11 September 1993.

The Competition welcomes applicants of all gender identities. Applicants who do not identify exclusively as male or female may apply under either age category.

Citizens of the Russian Federation are not eligible to apply.

The competition’s official language is English.

The Competition will be held in five rounds:

1. FIRST ROUND (selection round)
To register for participation in the First Round, applicants may choose between two options (A and B):

A – LIVE AUDITION (recommended, as it offers a higher chance of being selected) –

Auditions will take place in Spring 2027. A list of available audition cities and dates will be found HERE
Detailed information regarding the exact audition venue, access arrangements, and other practical details will be communicated individually to all registered singers.

The registration deadline for live auditions is usually 5 to 10 days before the selected audition date.

Singers must perform, with piano accompaniment, two pieces of contrasting character by different composers. At least one of the pieces must be an operatic aria. The selected repertoire may also, but does not have to, be performed in later rounds of the Competition.

NB! The total duration of the performance must not exceed 10 minutes.

B – AUDITION BY VIDEO RECORDING –
The registration deadline for video submissions is 1 June 2027:

The recordings must contain at least two pieces of contrasting character by different composers. At least one of the pieces must be an operatic aria. The selected repertoire may also, but does not have to, be performed in later rounds of the Competition.

NB! The total duration of the submitted recordings must be at least 6 minutes. The titles of the works and the recording date must be indicated.

The results of the First Round will be announced by 1 July 2027 on the Competition website and Facebook page.
Only singers selected to proceed to the next round will be notified by e-mail.

The selected singers (from both Option A and Option B) will receive a separate form requesting additional information (biography, repertoire, etc.). By submitting the completed form no later than 25 July 2027, they confirm their continued participation in the subsequent rounds of the Competition in Estonia (Pärnu).

Additional Information
The First Round will be evaluated in each audition city by a local jury, which will make the initial preselection. Each competitor’s performance will be video recorded, and the recordings of the preselected candidates will subsequently be reviewed by an extended jury consisting of approximately 40 members, in addition to the Main Jury.
Following this evaluation, the final selection of 36 singers who will be invited to Estonia to participate in the Second Round will be made.
The full list of jury members will be published on the Competition website.

After the results have been announced, singers may request feedback via e-mail or social media. Singers may also request a video recording of their First Round audition.

2. SECOND ROUND (Stage Presence and First Impression)
At least 36 competitors will participate in the Second Round. Each competitor shall perform two pieces with piano accompaniment:

  • one relatively short 18th-century aria (from Bach to Mozart, inclusive). This piece may not be one of the arias designated for any subsequent round of the Competition
  • one relatively short opera or operetta aria (or arietta, arioso, couplets, etc.). This piece may not be one of the arias designated for any subsequent round of the Competition

Important! The total duration of the performance, including stage entrance and exit, must be at least 6 minutes and may not exceed 9 minutes. The Jury reserves the right to interrupt a performance that exceeds the time limit.

3. THIRD ROUND (Musical Taste and Intelligence)
A maximum of 26 competitors will participate in the Third Round. Each competitor shall perform two or three pieces with piano accompaniment:

  • two verses (couplets) of Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria** sung in German. Transpositions are permitted

* Competitors must perform two songs if the duration of a single song is less than 2.5 minutes.
** Special scholarships or valuable prizes will be awarded for the best interpretation of an Estonian song and of Schubert’s Ave Maria.

Important! The duration of the performance, including stage entrance and exit, must be at least 7 minutes, but may not exceed 10 minutes! The Jury has the right to terminate the Participant’s performance if it exceeds the time limit.

4. SEMI-FINAL ROUND (Artistic and Acting Skills)
A maximum of 16 competitors will participate in the Semi-Final Round. Each competitor shall perform two pieces with piano accompaniment:

  • one aria or excerpt from an opera, oratorio, cantata, or orchestral work with voice, composed after 1935
  • one operatic aria from any period, including an extensive recitative (preferably a complete operatic solo scene), with a duration of no less than 5 minutes

These works may not be among the repertoire designated for the Second Round or the Final Round.

Important! The duration of the performance, including stage entrance and exit, must be at least 9 minutes, but may not exceed 12 minutes! The Jury has the right to terminate the Participant’s performance if it exceeds the time limit.

5. FINAL ROUND
Six competitors will be selected to participate in the Final Round with the orchestra. Each finalist shall prepare four operatic arias. However, each finalist will perform only two of them:

  • one aria selected by the singer according to their own preference
  • one aria selected by the Jury from the remaining three options. The Jury’s decision will be announced to each finalist immediately after the Semi-Final Round

Important! Singers are encouraged to select their Final Round repertoire from the Competition repertoire list. However, arias not included on the list may also be chosen. In such cases, the singer is responsible for providing the complete orchestral materials (full score and orchestral parts).

Each finalist will be entitled to one 25-minute rehearsal with the orchestra on the day of the Final Round, before the performance.

REHEARSALS and PIANISTS

The use of a pianist for the audition in the First round costs €15-40, paid in cash directly to him/her before the audition starts.

A pianist is provided FREE of charge for up to 20 minutes of preparation for the 2nd and 3rd rounds and up to 30 minutes for the 4th round. Extra rehearsal time (also for the final round) can be arranged by personal agreement with a pianist for €10 per every 5 extra minutes paid in cash directly to the pianist.

Important! The competitors must provide clear and easily readable sheet music, which must be sent to the pianists before the 25th of August.

The competitor is allowed to bring his/her pianist.


REGISTRATION FEE and PAYMENT

Registration fee depending on which option the singer has chosen for the 1st round:
Option A (live audition) – €60
Option B (video-recording) – €120

The registration fee must be paid before submitting the registration form, and a payment receipt must be presented. Payments are possible by bank transfer or credit card via PayPal.

NB! There is a discount of 50% for singers selected for the 2nd round of the previous competition (2025) and for singers who are Ukrainian citizens.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS

The competitors must perform from memory.
Once chosen, pieces cannot be changed after the official booklet of the Competition is printed. Exceptionally, it is possible to change the program only with the consent of the majority of the jury.

The Jury reserves the right to make any decisions not otherwise addressed in the official regulations, to ensure that the competition proceeds fairly, efficiently, and orderly.
All decisions of the Jury are final.

All singers selected in the first round must be in Pärnu, Estonia, on the 5th of September for the drawing of lots that will determine the order of competitors in the second round. The exact time and place of the drawing will be announced beforehand.

If the competitor does not comply with the competition regulations, he/she may be disqualified.

Travel and accommodation
Singers are responsible for obtaining their visas to enter Estonia (see Estonia Schengen Visa Application Requirements)

It is highly recommended that participants provide their insurance with adequate coverage. The Competition will not accept any responsibility for accidents occurring to a singer during the competition.

All competitors must cover accommodation and travel expenses by themselves. Our team will provide a list of hotels/hostels/guesthouses in Pärnu offering a special price (only for the competition’s participants).

Recordings, Broadcasts and Media Rights
All rounds of the Competition are open to the public and may be recorded, broadcast, or streamed by radio, television, or other media.
Competitors shall have no financial claims arising from interviews, recordings, broadcasts, live streams, photographs, or other media coverage related to the Competition.
All rounds of the Competition may be video recorded and/or live-streamed by the organisers. Such recordings may be published on the Competition website and on the Competition’s social media channels (including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X) for promotional, educational, archival, and non-commercial purposes.
By participating in the Competition, competitors grant the organisers the right to use, publish, and distribute such recordings without additional compensation. Competitors may not demand remuneration for such use or prohibit the public presentation of the recordings.
In exceptional circumstances, a competitor may submit a written request for the removal of a recording. Such requests will be considered individually by the organisers, who reserve the right to make the final decision.

The organisers guarantee that video recordings submitted for the First Round will be used solely for the purpose of selecting candidates for the Second Round and will not be used for any other purpose.

Dress code
We recommend dressing respectfully for the audience. For the Finals, Ladies: evening dresses, and Gentlemen: suits/tuxedos/tailcoats.