This Competition, organized by the Association des Nuits Lyriques de Marmande (hereinafter referred to as the “Organization”), is open to candidates of all nationalities and aims to promote young opera singers.

There are two categories (Opera and Mélodie Française). Candidates may enter one or both categories:

A – OPERA

In this category, arias from operas, comic operas, operettas, and zarzuelas are accepted, allowing the vocal, musical, and interpretive qualities of the candidates to be appreciated. Arias generally classified as pop music will not be accepted, as the competition is reserved for singers with basic opera training.

In their registration file, each candidate must propose a program of five arias by at least three different composers, including at least one aria in French. This French aria must be performed during the semi-final or final. The arias must be sung in their original language (however, French translations are permitted for Viennese operettas only). Transpositions are prohibited except when they are customary and/or intended by the composer. It is not possible to repeat the same aria during the entire competition.

Preselections:

The candidate chooses and performs 1 of the arias on the program.

Maximum duration: 4 minutes (only one cut allowed).

Semi-final:

The candidate chooses and performs 1 remaining aria from the list. If necessary, a second aria may be requested by the Jury.

Maximum duration: 6 minutes (only one cut allowed).

Final:

The candidate must perform 2 arias ACCOMPANIED ON THE PIANO. The first to be chosen from the remaining arias. The second to be chosen by the Jury. The Jury reserves the right to have only one tune sung if the number of finalists is too large. In this case, the tune sung is chosen by the Jury.

Maximum duration of each piece: 8 minutes.

B – MELODIE FRANÇAISE

The French melody is a musical form for voice and piano, composed to a poetic text written and sung in French. Fauré, Duparc, Ravel, Debussy, Poulenc, among others, have given it its prestige. In this category, songs and romances are not accepted, particularly those from the popular music repertoire.

If in doubt about the definition of the aria or to find suggestions for a repertoire of female composers, candidates can refer to the following websites:

• Center International de la Mélodie Française: https://www.melodiefrancaise.com/bibliotheque/
• Présence Compositrices-Demande à Clara: https://www.presencecompositrices.com/recherche-oeuvre

You can find repertoire proposals for the women composers via this link

In their registration file, each candidate must propose a program of six French melodies, including at least one work by a female composer, whether or not it appears on the list provided by Présence Compositrices attached to these rules. A melody by a female composer must be performed during the semi-final or final. It is not possible to sing the same melody more than once during the entire competition.

Preselections:

The candidate performs 1 song chosen from the program.

Maximum duration: 4 minutes

Semi-final :

The candidate sings 2 melodies. The first chosen from the program. The second is chosen by the Jury.

Final :

The candidate performs 2 melodies. The first he/she chooses from his/her program. The second is chosen by the Jury from among the pieces on the program.

In the case of a cycle, only one melody is sung, even if it is shorter than the allotted time. In the (rare) case of a cycle of very short melodies (e.g. Poulenc’s Le Bestiaire), several melodies may be sung, provided they remain strictly within the time limit.

C – GENERAL DISPOSITIONS FOR BOTH CATEGORIES

• By registering, candidates unreservedly accept these rules and any amendments that may be made between the submission of their application and the date of the competition. In the event of a dispute, only the French version posted at the venue on the day of the tests shall be deemed authoritative.
• Contracts of engagement may be offered to candidates, laureates or not, to take part in the Nuits Lyriques de Marmande (2027 or subsequent editions) or in the Organization’s other productions.
• All members of the Jury may propose engagements to candidates or help promote them.
• For all points not covered by the present rules, any additions or modifications to the rules and, more generally, any questions raised during the competition, the Organization is, in fine, sovereign and the sole decision-maker. Its decisions are final.

>> TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

The entry criteria for both categories are as follows:

• born after August 28, 1993 and before August 25, 2008. Exceptional exemptions may be granted. All requests for exemption are examined by the President of the Organization, whose decision is final.
• submit a detailed CV of professional experience and/or training. The Organization reserves the right to accept or refuse an application. This decision does not have to be justified and is final.
• have submitted a complete registration file (including all supporting documents) and paid the registration fee corresponding to the category(ies) chosen NO LATER THAN JULY 5, 2026 before midnight (French time). Candidates admitted to the event (whose complete application has been accepted) will receive a confirmation of registration, sent by the Organization, which will be deemed authentic.

A registration fee is required to participate in the competition (€60 for 1 category / €70 for 2 categories). This fee must be paid in euros at the time of registration and is an integral part of the application. Payments by check are not accepted. For European and foreign candidates, money orders, wire transfers, transfers, etc. must include additional handling and/or commission fees. The net amount received by the Organization must correspond to the registration fee. THE WIRE TRANSFER MUST INCLUDE THE NAME OF THE CANDIDATE. Once the candidate’s registration has been confirmed by the Organization at the time of submission of the application, the registration fee is non-refundable and remains payable, even in the event of absence (for any reason) and even if participation is called into question for non-compliance with any of the clauses of these rules.

AN APPLICATION IS COMPLETE WHEN IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

• An artistic curriculum vitae (training and professional activities)
• 1 passport-size photograph (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm) >> No artistic photos.
• A photocopy of an identity document
• Registration fee (or proof of payment)
• A bank account number (RIB) for payment of the prizes to the winners

All attachments sent by email or via the website must be standardized as follows:

CANDIDATE’S NAME + description of the document . Doc or Pdf or Jpg (only accepted formats).

>> PROGRAMS OF ARIAS PRESENTED

The program indicated on the registration form may be modified in exceptional circumstances until midnight (French time) on July 31, 2026. Any such modification must be duly notified in writing to the Organization and shall only be valid if confirmed by email from the Organization. Candidates may not sing the same piece twice.

Given the large number of candidates, the jury attaches particular importance to respecting the duration of the pieces as stipulated in these rules.

A candidate’s performance may be interrupted if the allotted time is exceeded. In agreement with the vocal coaches, only one cut may be taken in the aria in order to comply with the duration of the auditions.

>> ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING OF THE ROUNDS

For each category, the competition is divided into three phases:   Pre-selections    –    Semi-finals    –    Finals

Each phase begins with the “French Melody” category and continues with the “Opera” category.

To take part in the pre-selection rounds, registered singers must attend the welcome and group photo on the first day of the competition, at 8:45 am, at Théâtre Comedia – 32 rue Léopold Faye – 47200 MARMANDE – FRANCE (venue for all rounds, subject to change). For security reasons, and in accordance with the Vigipirate Plan, security personnel will carry out an access control at the entrance, and suitcases or large bags are forbidden.

Each candidate is assigned a random order number, which remains the same throughout the competition. This number is posted on social media the day before the competition. Candidates must check their schedule so they can arrive in the order shown. Each candidate is responsible for being on time, managing their time, and following their order of appearance. The schedules and written instructions posted by the Organization must be strictly adhered to. Candidates who are absent at the time of their scheduled appearance will lose the opportunity to compete in that event and will therefore be excluded from the competition. Only the President of the Jury may decide to reinstate them in the competition and choose to hear them at a later date, when possible. Before each event, candidates must present their candidate card.

SCHEDULE

TUESDAY AUGUST 25, 2026

08:45*: Reception of candidates – 10:00*: Start of the Preselections

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26, 2026

10h00*: Preselections, continuation and end

THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2026

10h00* : Semi-final

 FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2026

15:30* : French Melody Final

20:00* : Opera Final

The announcement of the results and the awarding of the prizes will take place at the end of the evening, after the deliberations.

*subject to change

The jury is announced subject to last-minute changes without prior notice. The deliberations of the Pre-selection Committee, the Professional Jury, and the High School Student Jury are confidential. Their decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

Simple dress is accepted for pre-selections and semi-finals. For the finals (Mélodie Française and Opéra), gala dress is required.

>> DIRECT ENTRY INTO THE SEMI-FINALS

2025 finalists in a category are admitted directly to the semi-finals of the same category in 2026. They must request this when submitting their application.

The Organization has signed specific partnerships with the following opera organizations abroad: Young Opera Ambassadors in Canada, Jeju Competition in South Korea, Concurso San Miguel in Mexico, and Shanghai Singing Competition, which allows candidates selected during these competitions to advance directly to the semi-finals. These partnerships may derogate from one or more points of these rules, without the other candidates being able to make any claim or be disadvantaged in any way.

All candidates admitted directly to the semi-finals may, at their request, compete in the pre-selections. If they make it through to the semi-final, they must pick up their pass before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

>> COMPETITION ACCOMPANIMENT

Candidates will be accompanied exclusively on the piano for the pre-selections, semi-finals and finals of the Mélodie Française category. No other form of accompaniment is accepted (instruments other than the piano, recorded music, etc.), nor is a cappella singing, except where all or part of a piece has been so written by the composer.

Arias must be performed without score.

Several accompanying pianists are provided by the Organization (at no extra cost to candidates). Each candidate may be accompanied by his/her own pianist (at his/her own expense). In this case, the pianist has access to the backstage area only for the duration of the candidate’s performance, and must leave at the end of the performance.

With the exception of the Mélodie Française and Opéra Finals, the Organizing Committee does not schedule rehearsals with pianists (whether external or provided by the Organizing Committee) prior to the Competition rounds.

Candidates must provide the pianists with legible piano/vocal scores of their chosen works in good condition. The Organization reserves the right to cancel the participation of a candidate who is unable to provide the scores, or if one of the scores is illegible or unusable by the pianist. French law prohibits the use of photocopies of scores or illegal printing via the Internet. The candidate will be held responsible if he/she contravenes these provisions.

>> PRICES

The prizes represent a total value of €23,100 in cash prizes and contributions towards expenses for non-winning Finalists (subject to change). The Jury may, if necessary, decide whether or not to award prizes and how to allocate the prize money for Special Prizes. In the event of a tie, the value of the prize will be divided by the number of candidates.

Where possible, the Génération Opéra Prize and the Michèle Herbé Young Hopeful Prize should not be combined with any other prize awarded by the Professional Jury. The recipient of the Génération Opéra Prize, awarded by the Pre-selection Committee, must be a French speaker. The recipient of the Michèle Herbé Young Hope Prize must not have exceeded the following age limits on the day of the Competition Final: 23 years old for sopranos and tenors and 25 years old for other voices. The Audience Award is awarded to one of the candidates in the final, in the Opera category only. The High School Students’ Award may be awarded to a candidate also registered in the French Melody category or to a semi-finalist.

Prizes are paid by SEPA bank transfer for European winners and via PayPal for winners from other countries. If the winner does not have a PayPal account and in the case of payment by bank transfer outside Europe, any bank charges incurred will be deducted from the amount paid to the winner, who must bear the cost. When the results are announced, a certificate for the Prize or Finalist is given to the candidates.

A candidate who has won first prize in a category or the Grand Prize in previous years may not compete in that category again. A previous year’s winner may not receive a prize lower than the one already received. In this case, the prize will not be awarded.

On request, non-finalist candidates may receive a certificate of participation in the competition, stating the level of the test they have achieved.

>> ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

By registering and accepting these rules, candidates expressly authorize the Organization to capture, reproduce and distribute their image, performances and interpretations. This authorization is given under the following conditions:

– capture and fixation on all known or unknown media (photographs, audio and audiovisual recordings, etc.),

– use and communication of their name and capacity on all media and by all processes,

– broadcasting (live or deferred), presentation to the public and reproduction of recordings, recordings and photographs, for non-commercial purposes of communication, information, promotion and archiving, on all media known or unknown to date, including the Internet, and by all processes (over-the-air, digital, analog, etc.).

This authorization and transfer of recording, capturing, use and broadcasting rights is granted to the Organization or to third parties mandated by it, free of charge, without time limit and for the whole world.

Within the framework of RGPD regulations, candidates are informed that the information collected on their file is recorded in a computerized file by the Organization for their registration in the International Singing Competition. The legal basis for data processing is the administrative management of applications as well as promotion to International Lyric Personalities. The data collected is communicated to the following recipients only: Members of the Jury and of the Jury des Lycéens; Professionals and all persons wishing to propose engagements or to contact them and, in part, to the Spectators of the Competition. Data is kept for a minimum period of 5 years to enable us to support and promote candidates, who may access it, rectify it, request its deletion or exercise their right to restrict its processing. For more information on your rights, visit www.cnil.fr. To exercise your rights or if you have any questions about data processing in this system, please contact: administration@nuits-lyriques.fr. If, after contacting us, you feel that your “Data Protection” rights have not been respected, you may lodge a complaint with the CNIL.

>> MODIFICATIONS – SUSPENSION – POSTPONEMENT – CANCELLATION

In the event of changes to the duration, suspension, postponement or cancellation of the Singing Competition, without prior notice, for any reason whatsoever, including lack of funding, epidemics, pandemics, conflicts, force majeure or acts of God, the Organization shall not be held liable to the candidates, and shall therefore be released from all charges, reimbursements of expenses and/or compensation to anyone.

Address for all correspondence

NUITS LYRIQUES

18, boulevard Fourcade – Boite n°1  – 47200 MARMANDE – France

Tél. : 33 (0) 5 53 89 68 75   –   www.nuits-lyriques.fr   –   contact@nuits-lyriques.fr