The New Voices Singing Competition is now in its third year, hosted by the Northern Aldborough Festival in North Yorkshire. It is open to soloists, duos, and ensembles of up to eight participants with a focus on singing. Participants must be aged from 18 to 32 to enter and be UK or Irish residents or nationals.

The 2025 judging panel consists of baritone Sir Thomas Allen, conductor Dame Jane Glover, and pianist Sholto Kynoch. They’re joined by artistic director of the Northern Aldborough Festival, a former professional counter tenor, Robert Ogden. Previous judges include Sir John Tomlinson CBE, Dame Felicity Lott, and principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardener OBE. 

The New Voices Competition was launched in 2023, in response to the funding cuts the classical music sector faced, to provide a platform for emerging talent. The inaugural winner of the New Voices Competition was the mezzo-soprano Lea Shaw, who was consequently picked as BBC Music Magazine ‘Rising Star’. 2024’s Winner was mezzo-soprano Judith Le Breuilly, with George Ireland on piano. Winners get the chance to perform at next year’s Northern Aldborough Festival alongside paid recitals, funded by the Yorkshire Music Future Fund, at Leeds Lieder and Harrogate International Festivals.

Robert Ogden said: ‘It’s set to be the biggest year for the nationwide New Voices Singing Competition, with cash prizes of £7,000 and high-profile performance opportunities to be won. In today’s landscape of music and arts funding cuts, we see this as a valuable platform to support young classical singers to launch their careers, as well as get in front of some of the industry’s leading and influential figures.’

Deadline for entries is Friday 18 April 2025. Successful applicants will be notified in the spring. They will then be invited to perform at a live semi-finals and grand final which take place during the festival.