An afternoon of magic with opera in the heart of the Euregion
On Sunday, 31 August from 16:00 to 17:30 hours, the Grand Final of the Viva Classic Vocal Contest 2025 will take place. Five emerging vocal talents from our Euregion will present ten magnificent arias, accompanied by the New Symphonics orchestra under the baton of Italian maestro Federico Santi. The atmospheric former monastery church Domani in Venlo will host this third edition in a brand-new location.

Vocal Contest – Third edition
The five finalists are Anna-Maria Koßbau, Anzhelika Bondarchuk, Tetiana Bielokoneva, Jessica Stakenburg, and Anastasia Kolabanova. They will be introduced soon via Viva Classic’s social media. Remarkably, three of the five are refugees from Russia and Ukraine, who have found a safe new home in our region. Their presence is a powerful sign of the times and reflects the theme of this year’s edition: “80 Years of Freedom” – and our awareness of its fragility.

Who will conquer the stage – and the audience?
In the Grand Final, the five finalists will compete for the favor of both the jury and the audience, each performing two epic arias from opera history. With fresh energy and deep musicality, these young artists are sure to move a broad audience – even those not yet familiar with opera. The winner of the first prize will receive the Willy Caron Award, and four guest performances among the internationally renowned soloists at Viva Classic Live 2025. As an audience member, you will help decide the Audience Award: a performance at the Viva Classic Christmas Gala. In addition, there are cash prizes for the top three finalists. Tickets for the Vocal Contest are available through Maaspoort.

For the opera enthusiast – Open Masterclass with Eva-Maria Westbroek
For those curious to see what happens behind the scenes, an open masterclass will take place on Saturday, 30 August from 13:30 to 16:00 hours in the Frans Boermanszaal at Maaspoort. The internationally acclaimed soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek will coach each of the five finalists for thirty minutes in preparation for their big performance on Sunday. Admission is free, and reservation is required through Maaspoort.

Craft and passion combined
This year’s jury consists of Sef Thissen (baritone and founder of Viva Classic Live), Fenna Ograjensek (soprano and managing director of Opera Compact), and Cynthia Jacoby-Deventer (soprano and vocal teacher at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen). The finalists were selected during an exciting semi-final held on Sunday, 13 July at Theater Krefeld-Mönchengladbach. From a competitive preliminary round, twelve promising young singers from both sides of the border took the stage. In addition to individual auditions for the jury, all participants received a masterclass from renowned soprano Barbara Haveman. The semi-final became thus an inspiring day full of skill, dedication, and the passion of the new generation.

Cross-border collaboration
The Viva Classic Vocal Contest is an initiative of the Viva Classic Live Foundation, in collaboration with Maaspoort and Theater Krefeld-Mönchengladbach, and made possible by the Municipality of Venlo, the Province of Limburg, the Scheuten Foundation, Systemec, and the Interreg Germany-Netherlands programme with its programme partners, co-funded by the European Union (EU). Through this project, young classically trained talent is given a stage to present themselves on both sides of the border and to build a stronger connection with the region.