The Bach Choir of Bethlehem and the American Bach Society announce the 12th biennial competition for American singers with a special interest in the music of J.S. Bach.

On May 19, 2024, finalists will appear before a panel of distinguished judges and a live audience in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The First Prize winner chosen by the judges on that day will receive a career development grant of $3,000 and a solo performing opportunity with The Bach Choir of Bethlehem and Christopher Jackson, Artistic Director & Conductor, in a future season.

In addition to the first prize, up to three additional cash awards of $500 may be awarded to other finalists, at the judges’ discretion.

Judges at the Finals on May 19, 2024, will include:

ELIGIBILITY:

The Competition is open to citizens of the United States who were born after May 19, 1992.
(As of the finals on May 19, 2024, participants must not yet have reached their 32nd birthday.) The goal of this competition is to provide opportunities for emerging artists in the performance of Bach.

AUDITION PROCEDURE:

Preliminaries:

  • Preliminary application is by live and unedited video recordings of 2 Bach arias uploaded via the online portal www.getacceptd.com
  • From these preliminary applications, up to ten finalists will be chosen.
  • Application Deadline: Friday, March 1, 2024
  • All applications must be received by the Competition Administrator on or before this date.
  • All applicants will be notified no later than March 15, 2024.

Finals:

  • The finalists will sing in Bethlehem, PA, on Sunday, May 19, 2024, 1:00–3:00pm.
  • Location: Peter Hall, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA 18018.
  • At the finals, each singer will present two Bach arias of his/her choice, (not necessarily those in the preliminary application). Piano accompanist will be provided. Finalists are welcome to bring their own accompanist if they wish. We will be tuned to A=440.
  • Finalists must make their own travel arrangements. By car, Bethlehem is 90 minutes north of Philadelphia and ca. 2 hours west of New York City. (Google Map)
  • Bethlehem is about five miles from the Lehigh Valley Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Airport website opens in new window)

The finals take place during the 116th Bethlehem Bach Festival. Finalists may request complimentary tickets to concerts on the weekend of the competition. Please visit the Bach Choir of Bethlehem’s website www.bach.org to view the Festival schedule.

HOW TO APPLY:

Application is via www.getacceptd.com which charges a $50 application fee.

Applications will close at midnight Friday, March 1, 2024.

We will make every effort to choose the finalists and notify every applicant no later than March 15, 2024