The Wagner Society of New York welcomes applications for its 22nd annual Singers Competition, with the live Final Round to take place on Friday, May 22, 2026 at Merkin Hall in New York City. The prizes will be awarded as the Robert Lauch Memorial prize ($6000), and the Ursula Springer prize ($3000), along with several other prizes in lesser amounts to be given at the judges’ discretion. The purpose of these awards is to identify and support emerging dramatic voices with Wagnerian potential.
Application information is available online at YAPtracker.
The competition is open to all who:
- are age 38 or below at the time of the Finals Round (An applicant’s date of birth should be May 1988 or after.)
- submit a completed application form
- submit two (2) letters of recommendation from industry professionals attesting to the applicant’s potential as a Wagner singer. (Please see application form for details.)
- submit videos of Two (2) excerpts from the Wagnerian repertoire. (Please see application form for details.)
Finalists will be selected from among the applicants by a qualified panel of adjudicators. The chosen Finalists will then be invited via email to participate in the live Final Round to take place on Friday, May 22, 2026 in New York City.
The required program for the Final Round must comprise:
Four (4) excerpts, at least three (3) of which must be by Wagner.
The fourth excerpt may be a non-Wagner selection of similarly dramatic vocal character.
No excerpt should exceed four (4) minutes (*Please note that this is different than the required application submission)
Finalists will be responsible for engaging their own pianists in NYC. A list of recommended pianists can be provided if needed.
The application deadline is Sunday, April 5, 2026. There is no fee for this application.
We look forward to receiving your application. For any questions, kindly contact singers@wagnersocietyny.org
The 2026 auditions are organized by the WSNY’s Singers Committee.
Co-Chairs: Cori Ellison, Tyson Deaton, Deborah Surdi
Ken Benson
Roger Malouf