the Second
«Feodor chaliapin» international competition for young opera perfomers
10-15
october 2025

Objectives of the Competition: selection and recognition of talented young opera performers, creation of perspectives to further their artistic careers, promoting public interest in opera and, in particular, towards the art and legacy of Feodor Chaliapin


Tasks of the Competition:

preservation and development of cultural and educational as well as moral and pedagogic traditions of the musical art created due to the efforts of outstanding musicians and composers;
popularization of operatic singing and promotion for its spreading;
raising the overall level of professional vocal art.
The qualifying round will be held from March 1 to May 30, 2025 (the deadline is set at 19:00, Moscow time)

for the Second «Feodor Chaliapin» International Competition

for Young Opera Performers

I. General provisions

1. The present rules determine the procedures and conditions of the Second «Feodor Chaliapin» International Competition for Young Opera Performers (hereinafter referred to as Competition).

2. Objectives of the Competition:
- selection and recognition of talented young opera performers, and creation of perspectives to further their artistic careers;
- enhance and facilitate contacts between Russian and foreign musicians;
- promoting public interest in opera and, in particular, towards the art and legacy of Feodor Chaliapin.

3. Tasks of the Competition:
- preservation and development of cultural and educational as well as moral and pedagogic traditions of the musical art created due to the efforts of outstanding musicians and composers;
- popularization of operatic singing and promotion for its spreading;
- raising the overall level of professional vocal art.

4. Founder of the Competition – The St. Petersburg State Autonomous Institution of Culture
«F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre.

5. Organizer of the Competition:
  • The St. Petersburg State Autonomous Institution of Culture «F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre;
  • State Budgetary Institution of Culture «St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music Art»;
  • St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music Art Development Foundation;
  • Non-Commercial Partnership for the Promotion and Organization of Cultural Projects
  • «Iskusstvo XXI vek».

2. Management of the Competition

1. An Organizing Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Organizing Committee) has been created to manage the preliminary phase of the Competition, addressing possible organisational and technical questions, as well as to ensure the respect of all terms described in the present document.

2. The Organizing Committee:
- shall supervise all activities related to the Competition as well as ensure its most widespread advertising and promoting;
- shall appoint jury members;
- shall timely process applications
- shall ensure the rights of each participant to be respected.

3. The Organizing Committee includes:
  • Chairman of the Organizing Committee – Chairman of the Committee for Culture of St. Petersburg Feodor Boltin;
Members of the Organizing Committee:
  • Director of the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Musical Arts Natalia Metelitsa;
  • Director General of the Russian National Museum of Music Mikhail Bryzgalov;
  • Director of the «F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre Yulia Strizhak;
  • Artistic Director of the «F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre Fabio Mastrangelo.
Secretary of the Organizing Committee – head of the concert department of the «F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre Anna Stoliarchuk.

3. The Jury

1. The jury of the Competition consists of outstanding personalities in the field of the performing arts.

2. The jury is entitled to:
- award the titles of prize winners and diploma winners;
- award not all prize-winning places.

3. Individual evaluation sheets are deemed strictly confidential.

4. The jury is not required to give commentaries to the participants.

5. The Organizing Committee shall not in any way or form influence the evaluations of any jury member nor make any suggestions with regards to awarding prizes.

6. The decisions of the jury are final and not subject to review.

4. Competition's rules

1. Russian and foreign nationals in the vocal categories of soprano, mezzo, tenor, baritone and bass, aged 18 to 36 (as per the competition's deadline) are eligible for participation.

2. No entry fee is required.

3. Venues:

Registration of participants – the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Musical Arts

1st Round – Concert Hall on the English Embankment

2nd Round – The Sheremetev Palace

Gala-concert and Award Ceremony – Grand Hall of the D.D. Shostakovich St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonia

4. The Competition is divided in four rounds: a preliminary round (only by video recordings), two rounds in presence, and a Gala concert combined with the award ceremony:

Qualifying round:

participants shall submit their applications between March 1st and May 30th, 2025 (the deadline is set at 19:00, Moscow time) to the competition's electronic address (chaliapin2023@gmail.com). Each application shall contain the following:

- a video recording of three contrasting works by 19th- 20th centuries Russian and foreign composers (aria, lied, folk song);
- a properly completed application form (annex No.1);
- the consent for the processing of personal data (annex No. 2);
- a photograph (colour portrait, in 300 dpi definition).

5. Video:
- videos shall be recorded not earlier than six months earlier than the date of submission of the application. All recordings shall be forwarded as a link on any freely available cloud hostings (e.g.: disk.yandex.ru, cloud.mail.ru, etc.). Both separate and continuous recordings of the three selected works are eligible;
- videos must be made utilizing recording devices (video cameras or smartphones) with high-quality resolution and must not contain any foreign noises or external disturbances;
- each of the works selected must be recorded in one single take;
- no editing (sound or video) is allowed;
- the total performance duration shall not exceed 20 minutes;
- video recordings with either piano or orchestra accompaniment are equally allowed;
- no additional sound effects shall be applied to the recording - the tone of voice and instrument shall result natural. Natural acoustics (room, hall) are allowed.

Upon receiving each video entry, the Organizing Committee shall confirm to the participant its receival by E-Mail (to the address indicated by the participant).

6. Each participant is responsible for the accuracy of the data submitted to the Organizing Committee.

7. Participants are kindly required to keep copies of all documents submitted with the application.

8. Results of the qualifying round shall be published on the official website of the Competition no later than August 15th, 2025.

A total of 36 singers will be admitted to the 1st Round. The selected participants are requested to confirm their musical program no later than one week following the confirmation of their admission.

5. In-person rounds of the Competition, requirements for the program to be performed

1. The Organizing Committee shall cover all accommodation costs of non resident participants. Should a competitor choose to appear with his/her own accompanist, he/she shall bare all expenses connected with the accompanist’s transportation, accommodation, and performance.

2. Participants shall provide piano/vocal scores of all the works they intend to perform.

3. Participants may appear on stage with their own accompanists. Alternatively, an accompanist will be provided by the Organizing Committee (on-duty accompanists on duty will take part in the work of the competition).

4. No alterations are allowed to the program of the three rounds specified in the application. All rounds of the Competition, with the exception of the preliminary one, will be open to the public.

5. The performance order of each participant shall be announced by the Organizing Committee. A detailed schedule, including exact competition’s procedures and rehearsal times, shall be communicated to each participant upon registration. The registration will take place at the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music Art on October 11th, at 20:00 Moscow time.

6. For the performance at the second stage of the competition and in the final, an evening attire is required. For men – tuxedo or a dark suit, concert shoes, for women – long concert dress, dress shoes.

7. Schedule:
10.10.2025
20:00
Registration of the participants

The St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music Art

Ostrovsky Squeare, 6

36 people
11.10.2025
12:00 – 15:00
15:00 – 18:00
1st Round of the Competition

Concert Hall

on the English Embankment, 56

18 people
12.10.2025
12:00 – 15:00
16:00 – 19:00
1st Round of the Competition

Concert Hall

on the English Embankment, 56

18 people
13.10.2025
12:00 – 15:00
16:00 – 19:00
2nd Round of the Competition
Sheremetev Palace
on the Fontanka river Embankment, 34
18 people
14.10.2025
15:00 – 19:00
Open orchestral rehearsal of the Gala-concert
Concert Hall
on the English Embankment, 56
No more than 10 people
15.10.2025
20:00
Gala-concert
and Award Ceremony
Grand Hall of the D.D. Shostakovich St. Petersburg State Academic Philharmonia
Mikhailovskaya str., 2
No more than 10 people
16.10.2025
Departure of the participants of the Competition
8. In-person rounds of the Competition are held as follows:

1st Round: performance of two contrasting arias with piano accompaniment: an aria from an opera by a 19th - 20th century Russian composer, an aria by a 19th - 20th century foreign composer (no more than 36 participants, who have passed the qualifying round, by decision of the jury);

2nd Round: performance of three works: folk song, chamber work by a 19th-20th century Russian or foreign composer and a Mozart’s aria (from an opera or concert aria) with piano accompaniment (no more than 18 participants, who have passed the 1st round, by decision of the jury);

3rd Round (Gala-concert): performance of two arias with orchestra - an aria from an opera by a 19th - 20th century Italian composer and an aria by a 19th - 20th century Russian or foreign composer - no more than 10 laureates, by decision of the jury. The jury has the right to choose one aria from the program suggested by the participant to be performed at the Gala-concert.

9. All the participants admitted to the 2nd Round will be offered an opportunity to take part in a cultural and educational program.

10. An open rehearsal will take place for all the participants to the Gala-concert. The exact time and venue of this rehearsal will be announced to the participants during the in-presence rounds.

11. The Organizing Committee takes it upon itself to publish a booklet featuring relevant information about all the participants.


12. Live broadcast of all the in-presence rounds will be realized by the Organizing Committee on the official web-site and in the VK group of the Competition.

6. Jury's assessment of participants, and prizes

1. The jury shall utilise a 10-grade system according to the following criteria:
- level of technical training (intonation, phrasing, accuracy of performance of music and literary text);
- level of artistic training (artistic impression, fullness of translation of the imaginative content of the work, expression, and stylistic accuracy);
- individuality of interpretation, level of presentation of the program (general impression, program complexity).

2. The decision of the jury shall be recorded in a protocol with specification of the final amount of points scored by the competition participants and confirmed by the
chairman of the jury of the competition. In case of a disputable situation, when allotting the final mark, the right of decision vote is held by the chairman of the jury.

3. Prizes:
- Grand Prix – 500 000 roubles;
- First Prize – 350 000 roubles;
- Second Prize – 250 000 roubles;
- Third Prize – 200 000 roubles;

Participants to the Third Round who did not win prizes will be awarded a diploma and a reward
of 30 000 roubles each.

4. Amounts of the prizes include taxes as per the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

7. Contacts

1. Information regarding the competition can be also found on the official web-site of the Founder of the Competition: https://chaliapin-teatr.ru/ and on the competition official web-site: https://chaliapincontest.ru

2. The postal address of the Founder of the Competition is:
197198, St. Petersburg, Alexandrovsky Park, 4
St. Petersburg State Autonomous Institution of Culture
«F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre

8. Personal data protection

1. In submitting an application, each competitor gives his/her voluntary agreement for processing his personal data at any stage of the Competition using automation means or without them under the Federal Law „On the personal data“, and namely: collection, systematization, accumulation, storage, clarification (renewal, change), depersonalization, blocking, and destruction of personal data of the participant. Under personal data, any information is meant which refers to a specific person, among them its surname, name, patronymic, age, educational institution of the participant of the Competition, place of residence, postal addresses, E-mails, and image.


2. All personal data of the participants will be processed by the Organizing Committee solely for purposes relevant to the Competition.

9. Other terms and conditions

1. Participation in the Competition means the unconditional acceptance of all items of this provision.

2. The Organizing Committee does not bear any responsibility for using works during the performance of the Competition by participants of the competition. All property claims, among them by authors and holders of allied rights, can be addressed to the Competition participant only.

3. The Competition participant guarantees that he holds the full volume of intellectual rights for materials sent for participation in the Competition. In the case of asserting complaints, claims, and/or lawsuits from third persons or controlling bodies to the Organizing Committee, the participant is obliged to resolve them at his own expense and compensate for all losses connected with such complaints, claims, and lawsuits.

4. The Organizer does not bear any responsibility for the violation of proprietary rights and the possible violation of the rights of third persons in connection with the placement of materials at the Competition. When the participant uploads the record of his performance, he brings the video record to the notice of the Organizing Committee and jury members.

5. The Organizing Committee holds the right to use and distribute (without payment of the fee to participants and guests of the Competition) audio and video records, printed products and other kind of products produced during events of the Competition and following its results.

6. Sponsors and patrons may participate in the proceedings of the Competition. Conditions of their participation shall be agreed-upon with the Organizing Committee separately.

7. All events of the Competition shall be carried out under sanitation-and-epidemiological requirements and recommendations by the Russian Federal State Agency for Health and Consumer Rights for carrying out public events for preventing the spread of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Program
October 10, 2025
20:00
Registration of the participants
The St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music Art
Ostrovsky Squeare, 6
October 11, 2025
12:00 – 15:00
16:00 – 19:00
1st Round of the Competition
Concert Hall
on the English Embankment, 56
October 12, 2025
12:00 – 15:00
16:00 – 19:00
1st Round of the Competition
Concert Hall
on the English Embankment, 56
October 13, 2025
12:00 – 15:00
16:00 – 19:00
2nd Round of the Competition
Sheremetev Palace
on the Fontanka river Embankment, 34
October 14, 2025
15:00 – 19:00
Open orchestral rehearsal of the Gala-concert
Concert Hall
on the English Embankment, 56
October 15, 2025
20:00
Gala-concert and Award Ceremony
Grand Hall of the D.D. Shostakovich St. Petersburg State Academic Philharmonia
Mikhailovskaya str., 2
Special Awards and Prizes
Prize from the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg –
a concert at the Rotunda of the Mariinsky Palace in December, 2025

Special Award from the member of the jury Hans-Joachim Frey, Artistic Director of the Sirius – Talent and Success Foundation: participation in a concert during the year 2026 in the Sirius Concert-Center

Special Award from the Elena Obraztsova Cultural Centre – solo recital at the Elena Obraztsova Cultural Centre in the concert season 2025-2026

Special Awards from the St. Petersburg State «F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre:
Participation in the concert of the St. Petersburg Northern Sinfonia Orchestra of the St. Petersburg State «F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre
led by maestro Fabio Mastrangelo in the concert season 2026-2027

Participation in the St. Petersburg International All Together Opera Festival in 2026

The Jury of the Competition

  • Veronika Dzhioeva

    Chaired by

    Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, People’s Artist of North and South Ossetia

  • Fabio Mastrangelo
    Artistic Director of the St. Petersburg State «F.I. Chaliapin» Music Theatre, conductor
  • Hans-Joachim Frey

    Artistic Director of the Sirius - Talent and Success Foundation

  • Dmitry Vdovin

    Honoured Arts Worker of the Russian Federation, Artistic Director of the Youth Opera Programme of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia

  • Georgy Isaakyan

    People’s Artist of the Russian Federation,

    Artistic Director of the N.I. Satz Moscow State Academic Musical Theatre

  • Umberto Fanni
    Director General and Artistic Director of the Royal Opera House Muscat (Oman)
  • Alexei Tikhomirov

    Honoured Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan,

    oloist of the Moscow Musical Theatre Helikon-Opera

News


    СПб ГАУК «Музыкальный театр им. Ф.И. Шаляпина»
    СПб ГБУК «Санкт-Петербургский государственный музей театрального и музыкального искусства»
    При поддержке осуществляется при поддержке Президентского Фонда Культурных Инициатив и Комитета по культуре Санкт-Петербурга
    The qualifying round will be held from March 1 to May 30, 2025
    (the deadline is set at 19:00, Moscow time).

    The competition's electronic address for submitting
    the applications is chaliapin2023@gmail.com
    The second
    «Feodor Chaliapin» International Competition
    for Young Opera Performers