Wigmore International Song Competition names winner

London’s Wigmore Hall has announced the prize winners of its 2024 Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition. Following a final round held at Wigmore Hall earlier this week (11 September), 20-year-old mezzo-soprano Anja Mittermüller was named the youngest winning singer in the competition’s history.

The Austrian mezzo-soprano takes home the £10,000 top prize, while the competition second prize (£5,000) went to tenor Santiago Sánchez from Uruguay and New Zealand baritone Jonathan Eyers received the £2,000 third prize. The Pianist’s Prize of £5,000 went to South Korean competitor Jong Sun Woo.

Wigmore Hall director John Gilhooly said: ‘This year’s competition has been a remarkable showcase of young talent, highlighting the passion and dedication a new generation of artists is bringing to the song and Lieder tradition. I extend my warmest congratulations to our winners and deepest gratitude to our jury whose invaluable expertise and wisdom benefits all the contestants. We are sincerely grateful to William and Judith Bollinger, whose generous support makes this celebration of song possible.’

Gilhooly chaired the competition jury which included sopranos Roberta Alexander and Dame Felicity Lott, mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink, baritone Olaf Bär, BBC Cardiff Singer of the World artistic director David Jackson, and pianists Graham Johnson and James Baillieu, who himself won of the competition’s pianist’s prize in 2008.

Further prizes included the Special Finalist Prize which went to French mezzo-soprano Mathilde Orscheidt, the Jean Meikle Prize for a Duo, awarded to soprano Clara Barbier Serrano and pianist Joanna Kacperek, and the Richard Tauber Prize for Best Interpretation of Schubert Lieder which was won by bass-baritone Michael Ronan. Swiss tenor Joël Terrin took home the Vaughan Williams Society Prize and the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme Prize went to Hanne Marit Mordal Iversen and pianist Revaz Abramia, giving them the change to participate in a week-long masterclass at Snape Maltings.