The Cultural Association “Il Villaggio della Musica”
in collaboration with
Theatre Massimo in Palermo (Italy), Theatre alla Scala in Milan (Italy), Theatre of the Opera in Rome (Italy) , Opéra National de Paris (France), Theatre Real in Madrid (Spain), Opera House in Frankfurt (Germany), Leipzig Opera House (Germany), Istanbul Opera and Ballet Theatre (Turkey), Royal Opera House of Wallonie-Liège (Belgium), National Opera of Bucharest (Romania) and Shijiazhuang University (China) and Kyung Hee University (Corea del Sud)

24th INTERNATIONAL LYRIC COMPETITION “OTTAVIO ZIINO”

ART. 1 – PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS The Competition is open to falsettists, sopranos, tenors, mezzo-sopranos, contraltos, baritones and basses, of age, of any nationality, born after January 1, 1992. The winners of the first three prizes of the last three editions are not eligible to participate. The arias to be included in the registration form are 6 (six), performed in the original key and language, with recitative and cabaletta, of which at least two arias in Italian. Lieder, zarzuelas, operettas, chamber music, sacred and symphonic music are not permitted. ART. 2 – PARTICIPATION METHODS and DOCUMENTS TO ATTACH The application form must be filled out and sent online on the website www.clioz.net according to the following deadlines:

  • May 31, 2025 for in-person pre-selections
  • July 15, 2025 for pre-selection via video Competitors must attach the following documentation to their application:
  • Photocopy of an identity document certifying date of birth and residence;
  • Artistic CV in Word format (max 1 page) with passport photo included;
  • A close-up photo;
  • Membership fee made out to the Association “Il Villaggio della Musica ETS” with the name of the candidate indicated in the reason for payment , divided as follows:
  • Euros 100.00 (one hundred euros) by bank transfer (bank charges to be paid by the competitor) bank details BANCA POPOLARE DI SONDRIO IBAN IT54T0569603216000006618X59 in the name of: Associazione Il Villaggio della Musica ETS, payments from abroad: bic/swift code POSOIT22 OR
  • Euros 105.00 (one hundred and five euros) via PayPal or Stripe The application will NOT be taken into consideration if, by the registration deadline, the competitor has not sent the registration form online. The competitor must ensure that his/her registration is correct. In particular, for those who participate via video, ensure that the links are sent correctly, both with regard to the registration date (2024-2025) and the sound and video recording quality. On the registration deadline, the candidate can no longer change the arias indicated . The candidate who needs to obtain a visa for the stay in Italy contacts the Competition Secretariat by email to obtain the invitation letter. No reimbursement of expenses of any kind will be paid to competitors, except as indicated in article 4. In the event of non-participation in the Competition, the secretariat is not obliged, in any case, to refund the registration fee, except in the case of cancellation of the Competition due to the responsibility of the organization.
    ART. 3 – CONDUCT OF THE COMPETITION The Competition is divided into three phases: PRESELECTION, SEMI-FINAL and FINAL. For the call order of the pre-selection and semi-final phases, we proceed in alphabetical order from the letter of the surname of the jury president, then from the letter “B”. All competitors must show up according to the schedule set for rehearsals with the pianists. Competitors who are absent will be excluded from the Competition, unless the delay is proven by a justified reason within the Pre-selection deadline.
  • PRESELECTION Contestants can choose to participate via:
  • sending (no Wetransfer) of 2 videos of opera arias, performed in the years 2024-2025, one of which in Italian, among those listed in the registration form, with exclusive piano or orchestra accompaniment (no recorded bases) . Videos must be of high quality and resolution, with optimal acoustics and framing, recorded in aesthetically suitable premises. In the absence of these requirements, the video will NOT be taken into consideration and another will be required. or
  • in person, choosing between one of the dates and locations indicated: June 15, 2025 Bucharest (Romania) Bucharest National Opera June 19, 2025 Istanbul (Turkey) National Opera and Ballet Theatre June 24, 2025 Paris (France) Opéra National de Paris June 25, 2025 Liège (Belgium) Royal Opera of Wallonia-Liège June 28, 2025 Leipzig (Germany) Oper Leipzig June 30, 2025 Frankfurt (Germany) Oper Frankfurt July 1st and 2nd 2025 Milan (Italy) Theatre alla Scala July 03, 2025 Madrid (Spain) Theatre Real 05 July 2025 Vienna (Austria) Kleiner Ehrbar Saal July 11 and 12, 2025 Rome (Italy) Opera Theatre from 25 to 29 July 2025 – Shijiazhuang (China) Shijiazhuang University August 1st and 2nd, 2025 – Seoul (South Korea) Kyung Hee University 경희대학교 Competitors present two arias of their choice (from the six indicated on the registration form), one of which must be in Italian. The Commission reserves the right, at any time, to interrupt the competitor or decide to listen to only one aria from those presented. Competitors must bring an identification document and a copy of the scores of the arias to be performed (for the pianists in the Competition). Candidates admitted to the Semifinal will be announced by 10th August 2025.
  • SEMIFINAL – 17th and 18th October 2025 Massimo Theatre in Palermo – ITALY The competitors admitted to the Semi-final present two other arias of their choice from those indicated in the registration form and not performed in the pre-selection , for a total duration of 10-13 minutes, to be communicated to the email concorsolirico@ilvillaggiodellamusica.it by 30th September 2025. The suitability assessments in the Pre-selection and Semi-final stages are decided by majority vote.
  • FINAL –20th October 2025 Massimo Theatre in Palermo – ITALY In the Final, one and/or two arias will be performed on the piano, chosen by the Commission from those indicated on the registration form. The judgement is expressed by each juror through the compilation of a personal ranking. At the end, the final ranking is drawn up by adding the ranking positions of all the finalists’ cards and the prizes are awarded following the final ranking order. The decision of the Commission is final. In the event of a tie, the prizes up for grabs are equally divided. ART. 4 – PRIZES The prizes of the 24th edition of the Competition divided into cash prizes and artistic prizes are as follows: CASH PRIZES
  • 1st PRIZE of € 10,000.00 and the “Ottavio Ziino” Cup
  • 2nd PRIZE of € 5,000.00 and the “Ottavio Ziino” Cup
  • 3rd PRIZE of € 2,500.00 and the “Ottavio Ziino” Cup
  • “Emerging Voice” Award € 1,000.00 for the best performance of an aria under 25 and “Ottavio Ziino” Plaque
  • “Rizzardo Bino” Award € 2,000.00 and “Ottavio Ziino” Plaque
  • Special Prize “Massimo Filippucci and Maria Laura Cannilla” € 1,000.00 for mezzo-soprano voice and “Ottavio Ziino” Plaque
  • “Maria Zunica” Award € 1,000.00 for an Italian entry under 25 and “Ottavio Ziino” Plaque
  • “Ettore Bastianini Association” Award, Special plaque for baritone voice offered by the Ettore Bastianini Association
  • Documented expense reimbursement (travel, food, accommodation) up to a maximum of €400.00 each for all finalists who do not win the first three prizes ARTISTIC AWARDS
  • Audition for the winners on the stage of the Theatre alla Scala
  • Audition for the winners at the Rome Opera Theatre
  • Audition for the winners at the Opèra Royal de Wallonie – Liège
  • Writings, opera roles and/or concerts offered by: – Artistic Director of the Leipzig Opera (Germany) – General Manager Royal Opera House Muscat (Oman) – Artistic Director of Istanbul Opera and Ballet Theatre (Türkiye)
  • Concert with the Orchestra of the European Philharmonic Academy in its 2025/2026 season for one of the first three classified
  • The Superintendents, Artistic Directors, Casting managers and music operators who are members of the jury and present at the Final on 20th October 2025, evaluate at their own unquestionable discretion the assignment of scripts and/or opera roles and/or concerts for their own programmes. CRITICS AWARD
  • Ottavio Ziino Critics’ Award of €1,000.00: the Critics’ Jury is composed of Directors and/or editors of important international music magazines, music critics and professionals in the field of culture, music and entertainment who will take office at the Final on 20th October 2025 AUDIENCE AWARD
  • Audience Award of €500.00 and a Plaque offered by the Il Villaggio della Musica Association to the finalist singer most appreciated by the public at the Final on 20th October 2025 *The cash prizes offered in this announcement to the winners, where required by law, are intended to be gross of tax withholdings in force on 20th October 2025 and will be paid by the end of December 2025 ART. 5 – COMPOSITION OF THE JURY The Artistic Commission in the Pre-selections is composed of the artistic director of the host theatre and/or the artistic director of the Ottavio Ziino International Opera Competition and/or any internationally renowned opera singers and/or music professionals. From the Semi-final stage the jury is composed as follows: President: Marco Betta, Superintendent of the Teatro Massimo of Palermo (Italy) Caner Akgun, Artistic Director of Istanbul Opera and Ballet Theatre (Turkey) Massimo Biscardi, President, Superintendent National Academy of Santa Cecilia of Rome (Italy) Alessandro Di Gloria, Casting Manager of the Rome Opera Theatre (Italy) Umberto Fanni, General Manager Royal Opera House Muscat (Oman) Paolo Gavazzeni, Artistic Director Coordinator of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan (Italy) Francesco Giambrone, Superintendent of the Rome Opera Theatre (Italy) Daniel Jinga, General Director of the National Opera House in Bucharest (Romania) Bernd Loebe, General Manager of the Frankfurt Opera House (Germany) Konstantin Petrowsky, Artistic Coordinator of the Teatro Real in Madrid (Spain) Cornelia Preissinger, Artistic Director of the Leipzig Opera (Germany) Veruska Reho, Casting Manager of the Royal Opera of Wallonia-Liege (Belgium) Christian Schirm, Artistic Director of the Academy of the Opéra national de Paris (France) Marco Tutino, Composer and Artistic Director of the Teatro G. Verdi in Pisa (Italy) Wally Santarcangelo, Artistic Director – International Opera Competition “Ottavio Ziino” (Italy) ART. 6 – ACCOMPANYING PIANISTS Competitors may avail themselves of the collaboration of accompanying pianists made available by the Artistic Direction of the Competition WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL COST.
    However, competitors may present themselves with their own accompanying pianist at their own expense but only in the pre-selection. ART. 7 – RELEASE The Association Il Villaggio della Musica reserves the right to film and record with videotape, tape, CD-DVD, film, internet, social, radio and TV, streaming, the three phases of the Competition (Preliminary, Semi-final and Final), without owing anything to the competitors in any capacity. Participation in this competition entails the release for the exploitation of both the image and the song for any radio, television and internet broadcasting of the performances performed during the entire event, of the writings and concerts that are the subject of the prize and of all other activities related to the same that also take place outside the event such as, for example, video-shooting or promotional videos before, after and during the event. For all that is indicated in this article, no rights or compensation of any nature will be foreseen for any cause or reason. ART. 8 – INSURANCE POLICY The Association Il Villaggio della Musica is a signatory of an insurance policy with a leading Insurance Company for civil liability during all stages of the competition (semi-final and final); they do not assume responsibility for further risks or damages of any nature that may arise to the competitors during the entire competition, in addition to those provided for above. ART. 9 – AMENDMENTS TO THE REGULATION The Artistic Direction and the Organization of the Competition reserve the right to make changes to these regulations if necessary. ART. 10 – JURISDICTION In the event of a dispute, the Court of Rome shall have jurisdiction and the text of the regulation in Italian shall be valid. ART. 11 – ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES AND ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES Submission of the application implies total and unconditional acceptance of all the rules contained in this announcement and any changes provided for in art.9. All FINALISTS will be awarded an “HONORARY DIPLOMA”; while other competitors will be awarded, upon request, a Certificate of Participation. ART. 12 – PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA In accordance with European Regulation 679/2016 on the protection of personal data, the Association “Il Villaggio della Musica” informs that the data provided in the registration form will be stored and used exclusively for the purpose of sending information relating to the Association that, pursuant to the aforementioned Legislative Decree, the data owner has the right to know, update, delete and rectify his data or oppose their use.