The Hungarian composer Béla Bartók is said to have once remarked, “Competitions are for horses, not for artists.” Even today, music competitions remain subject to criticism and debate, yet international competitions, such as those held every three years at the Cologne University of Music and Dance (HfMT) in Germany, offer singers a wealth of opportunities to develop and perform.
Competitions offer the chance to gain artistic experience, to face the judgement of both an international jury and a live audience, and, last but not least, to learn about music and oneself. This learning experience applies not only to the candidates, but also to the jury and the audience – each in their own distinctive but equally important way. This spirit was reflected in the repertoire of the Cologne International Music Competition, held under the patronage of Edda Moser between 15 and 21 September 2025 in the singing category at HfMT Cologne. The competition programme included both opera and operetta – a combination that demanded vocal expressiveness, acting versatility and interpretative depth.
Competitions are not just arenas for high adrenaline rushes and the occasional controversial decision. They are also fertile ground for learning and forging new connections, making the choice of partner orchestra all the more significant. This year, the young singers were accompanied by the renowned Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, one of the leading orchestras in Germany.
Following an exciting application phase that attracted almost 200 singers from all over the world, a preliminary jury selected 30 promising talents. The invited young artists represented 12 countries: Germany, South Korea, Turkey, China, Brazil, Switzerland, Russia, Colombia, Ireland, Israel, the United Kingdom and Austria.
In Cologne, the young singers performed before an international jury chaired by Kai Wessel (Germany). Other members included Thomas Cooley (USA), Brigitte Lindner (Germany), Hein Mulders (Netherlands), Anna Radziejewska (Poland), François Le Roux (France), and Christopher Ward (Great Britain).
The First Prize of €12,000 went to Chinese baritone Yancheng Chen. A former member of the Opernstudio NRW (2023–25), he has already performed at the Cologne Opera, Bonn Opera and Bremen Theatre, and will join the ensemble of the Saarländisches Staatstheater Saarbrücken for the 2025–26 season. His growing list of honours includes
First Prize at the Anneliese Rothenberger Competition and Second Prize at the Ottavio Ziino International
Singing Competition.
South Korean tenor Kang Seo was awarded Second Prize (€8,000). A student of Professor Brigitte Lindner at the Cologne University of Music and Dance since the winter semester of 2024–25, Seo previously completed his bachelor’s degree at Hanyang University. His accolades include First Prize at the Daegu International Vocal Music Competition, the Suri National Music Competition in Suwon, and the Musikjournal National Music Competition.
The Third Prize, worth €6,000, went to German soprano Katja Maderer, a winner of the Federal Singing Competition and the Hugo Wolf Academy. Since September 2025, she has been studying at the August Everding Theatre Academy in Professor Lars Woldt’s singing class.
German soprano Janina Mae Dettenborn received the €1,000 audience prize and later joined her fellow laureates in a rousing winners’ concert at Cologne’s Philharmonie. Accompanied by the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne under conductor Finnegan Downie Dear, the evening closed the competition on a high note.
