The repertoire consists of a free-to-choose part, an obligatory part, and a new composition, commissioned for the occasion of the competition.

All songs have to be sung by heart, with the exemption that the Artistic Director may decide that the commissioned composition may be sung from score. Consult us to be sure on this point!

Feel free to ask us any questions. However, before doing so, please read the text below carefully, and also make sure that your question has not yet been answered in the FAQs.

Free repertoire

The free repertoire consists of 12 (twelve) songs and meets the following demands:

• Each of the following style periods are represented: classicism, romanticism, impressionism and 20th/21st century;
• Each of the following languages are represented: German, French, English and Italian;
• At most 2 (two) songs are from the same song cycle.
• The total duration of the songs together must not be less than 25 minutes.

You may adopt songs in your free repertoire that were also in your demo mp3s.

Mandatory repertoire

• A short list of five compulsory songs will be handed over to the admitted duos some five weeks before the competition (see timeline on the registration page). They will be assigned by the artistic director, and may vary between duo’s (primarily by gender).
• Duo’s are to study their complete list of five songs. In the first and second round, the Artistic Director will decide which song is to be performed.
• Early registration bonus: participants completing their registration before the early-bird deadline (see timeline on the registration page) will be allowed to exclude two of these mandatory songs for the first round. (Those two songs can thus nevertheless be demanded in the second round and must therefore still be studied.)

Commissioned composition (mandatory)

The commissioned composition will be handed over to the admitted duos some seven weeks before the competition (see timeline on the registration page).