Promising £15,000 (approximately $26,000) and a role in a production at a major opera house, Glyndebourne has announced a new international competition for opera singers to be held every two years. Distinguishing itself from competitions such as Cardiff Singer of the World, the Glyndebourne Opera Cup will be dedicated to one composer or type of repertoire each time that it runs. Contestants will thus have the benefit of being accompanied by an appropriate period orchestra, with the age limit and other eligibility considerations varying to reflect the specific demands of each iteration of the Cup.

The inaugural competition will focus on Mozart, with the age limit for entrants set at 28 and The Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment to accompany singers. Future Glyndebourne Opera Cups with a focus on composers such as Wagner or Strauss are likely to raise the age limit to reflect the maturity required for such repertoire.

“I’ve been on the judging panels of a number of singing competitions and have seen what works and what doesn’t,” said Glyndebourne’s general director Sebastian F Schwarz. “When I arrived at Glyndebourne, with its giant reputation for discovering exceptional talent, it seemed an incredible opportunity to design the perfect singing...