Since 1998 the annual Lotte Lenya Competition has been recognizing talented young singer/actors who are dramatically and musically convincing in repertoire ranging from opera/operetta to contemporary Broadway scores, with a focus on the works of Kurt Weill. More than just a vocal competition, the Lenya Competition has grown into an internationally recognized leader in identifying and nurturing the next generation of “total-package performers” (Opera News) and rising stars in both the opera and musical theater worlds.
A record number of 282 applicants from 24 countries and 33 states all submitted videos for the 2020 Competition. The nationally and internationally known judges for the semi-final round, which took place on March 11 and 12 in New York City, whittled the field of 27 contestants to the final 12. The final twelve contestants representing five countries would normally perform the final round in front of overflow audiences in Kilbourne Hall at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. However, this year, the Lenya Competition, like so many other things has had to embrace an entirely new way of performing the final round. Learn more about the 12 finalists.
Kim Kowalke, President of the Kurt Weill Foundation announced this week that the Foundation has just completed a video of the twelve finalists, and it will be uploaded to the Kurt Weill Foundation YouTube page on Saturday morning, May 2, 2020 by 11:00 a.m. Competition followers will be able to view the winners there at their convenience. The video will remain on YouTube indefinitely.
Learn more about the Foundation, Lotte Lenya, view the archives and more.
