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Each June, world-class musicians arrive in Aldborough - a Roman village tucked between York and Harrogate - and transform it.
But before the headliners take to the stage, something else happens here: A search begins.
The Northern Aldborough Festival has opened entries for its 2026 New Voices Singing Competition - a national call-out for classical singers aged 18 to 32, from soloists to small ensembles. The deadline is Friday 24 April 2026.
Now in its fourth year, the competition was launched in 2023 at a time when classical music was facing deep funding cuts and shrinking opportunities for young performers. It was, in many ways, a response to that moment - a practical act of belief.
Robert Ogden, Artistic Director of the Northern Aldborough Festival, says: “We launched the competition in a landscape of funding cuts. Music continues to be under siege. It’s perhaps harder than ever for talent, particularly from under privileged backgrounds, to pursue a career in the industry. This competition is designed to support young talent and offer a level playing field. We’re proud to offer substantial cash prizes and performance opportunities, and to offer semi-finalists a subsidy to cover their travel expenses to take part.”
The £7,000 prize fund is significant. But so is what surrounds it.
Winners don’t just receive a cheque - they perform at the following year’s Northern Aldborough Festival, and are given paid recital opportunities at Leeds Song Festival and Harrogate International Festivals, supported by the Yorkshire Music Future Fund. For emerging singers navigating an increasingly precarious profession, that platform can be transformative.
The competition has quickly built a reputation for the calibre of its judges - previous panels have included Dame Jane Glover, Sir Thomas Allen, Sir John Tomlinson CBE and Dame Felicity Lott.
This year’s judges include conductor and former Opera North Musical Director Paul Daniel CBE, soprano Carolyn Sampson OBE, accompanist Anna Tilbrook, alongside Robert Ogden and festival chair Sir Andrew Lawson-Tancred, the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire.
Recent winners hint at the trajectory the competition can offer. The inaugural winner, mezzo-soprano Lea Shaw, was later named a BBC Music Magazine ‘Rising Star’. Judith Le Breuilly, winner in 2024, went on to perform live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. In 2025, Scottish soprano Rachel Munro and pianist Jia Ning Ng took the title.
For audiences, the semi-finals and final - held during the festival from 18–27 June - offer something rare: the chance to hear artists at the very start of their ascent.
And for Aldborough itself, it’s another reminder of what this festival has quietly become over its 32 years: a rural gathering with international reach.
Founded in 1994, the Northern Aldborough Festival was described by The Times as “well on its way to being one of the leading fixtures on the classical music calendar.” Its mission remains simple: to bring exceptional music to new audiences, in places where it would not normally be heard.
The festival’s patron is Dame Judi Dench.
In 2026, performers include clarinettist Emma Johnson, pianist Lucy Parham with actress Joanna David in I, Clara, pianist Sarah Beth Briggs, the Orchestra of Opera North performing Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Wild Arts presenting Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, and jazz from Clark Tracey and his quartet. Broadcaster Amol Rajan appears as guest speaker.
But before all that, there are the young singers - stepping onto a stage in a North Yorkshire village, hoping to be heard.
Applications for the 2026 New Voices Singing Competition are now open.
Find out more and apply HERE
