Rules in English
RULES
GENERAL
1 The Finnish Cultural Foundation is organising the ninth Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition in Helsinki, Finland, between 3–12 June 2024.
2 The Mirjam Helin Competition is open to singers born in 1992 or later. Russian nationals can participate in the competition if they can prove that they have lived outside the Russian Federation for the last three years, that is, since August 2020.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation condemns Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Russian nationals living in Russia will continue to be excluded from the competition for as long as Russia persists with its aggression towards Ukraine.
3 Applicants for the Mirjam Helin Competition undertake to abide by the rules, the regulations on performance and the decisions of the Jury, and to refrain from all professional engagements or duties during the competition.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
4 Singers wishing to enter the Mirjam Helin Competition must apply online using the application form at mirjamhelin.fi by 4 January 2024. The application form must be accompanied by a quality audiovisual recording for the pre-selection procedure.
The application form, its attachments and other notifications mentioned later in the rules must be submitted by the dates indicated. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
5 Should the number of participants have to be restricted, adjudicators nominated by the Competition Committee will carry out a pre-selection procedure on the basis of the received application documentation and recordings. Applicants selected for the competition will be informed in writing by 31 January 2024.
6 Amendments to the repertoire stated by the applicant will be accepted up to 14 February 2024.
7 Competitors must register in person (passport/other form of identification required) at the Competition Office in Helsinki between 2 and 5 pm on 1 June 2024, and must be present at 6 pm for the draw for the order of performance.
SHEET MUSIC
8 The following regulations apply to competitors without their own pianist:
Clear, easily legible sheet music must be provided for the official pianist.
In special cases the Competition Director may require that the music be submitted in advance for preliminary study.
9 The scores and parts required by the orchestra will be provided by the Competition Director. If a work with orchestral accompaniment chosen by the competitor has no publisher, or if the work is not generally obtainable, the competitor must, on the request of the Competition Director, deliver the orchestral scores and parts to the Competition office by 14 February 2024.
10 A competitor who intends to perform unpublished works or ones outside the standard European repertoire must, at the request of the Competition Director, bring a copy of the music for the Jury.
SCHEDULE
11 There will be three rounds:
- Preliminary round 3–6 June 2024
- Semifinals 7–8 June 2024
- Final 12 June 2024
12 Sixteen to twenty competitors will be selected in the Preliminary round to take part in the Semifinals. Six semifinalists will be selected for the Final.
13 The order of performance decided by the draw for the Preliminary round will be the same in each round of the competition.
14 Any competitor who is not ready to appear at the allotted time may be disqualified. A singer who falls ill during the competition may be allowed to sing at a later stage during the round in question, on production of a certificate from the Competition Doctor.
15 A competitor wishing to leave the Helsinki region while still taking part in the Competition must seek the permission of the Competition Director.
16 A competitor may bring their own pianist. The Competition Director will place a pianist at the disposal of competitors without their own pianist. Each competitor is entitled to one rehearsal (maximum 60 minutes) before the Preliminary round and to one before the Semifinals. The finalists will be entitled to one orchestral rehearsal on the day before the Finals. Any additional rehearsals must be arranged and paid for by the competitor.
REPERTOIRE
17 Each competitor must, on application, state the repertoire they intend to perform. Any changes to this repertoire must be submitted by 14 February 2024.
18 There are no compulsory works, but it is recommended that competitors build their repertoire to reflect the diversity of music and its makers.
Preliminary round
1. An aria from a passion, oratorio, mass or cantata composed before 1760.
2. Two solo songs, of which at least one must be a Lied sung in German.
3. An opera or concert aria.
Each competitor will have a maximum of 20 minutes at their disposal.
Semifinals
1. A song by a Finnish composer. (See a list of recommendations – PDF, 184 KB.)
2. A group of solo songs (lasting 15–20 minutes).
3. An opera or concert aria.
Each competitor will have a maximum of 30 minutes at their disposal.
The group of solo songs in the Semifinals may, for example, consist of an entity comprising a song cycle or part of one, a group of songs by one composer, or a group of songs by different composers but with a common topic. The songs must be composed specifically for voice and piano or arranged by the composer themselves for voice and piano.
Finals
Two works with orchestral accompaniment, of which at least one must be an opera, oratorio, cantata or concert aria.
Each competitor will have a maximum of 20 minutes at their disposal.
19 The repertoire must include works sung in at least three languages. Each piece may appear only once in the competitor’s repertoire.
RULES FOR PERFORMANCE
20 In each round, each competitor will perform their entire programme without interruption.
21 Each competitor will decide the order of their pieces. The indicated maximum duration must not be exceeded.
22 The repertoire, including the oratorio arias, must be performed entirely from memory. All arias must be sung in the original key or in a commonly used transposition. Solo songs may be transposed. All songs must be performed in the original language, except for those by Finnish composers, which may be sung in translation.
23 The Jury may, regardless of Rule 21, request a competitor to repeat a piece already performed.
24 All the Mirjam Helin Competition events will be open to the public. The audience is required to observe any instructions announced at the beginning of each event.
ADJUDICATION PROCEDURE
25 The performances will be judged according to the principles and procedures laid down in the Regulations for the Competition Jury, approved by the Competition Committee.
26 In choosing the finalists and in adjudicating the Final, the overall impression given by each competitor in all the rounds will be taken into account.
27 The decisions of the Jury will be final.
PRIZES
28 An honorary diploma will be awarded to each of the finalists and a diploma to each of the semifinalists. The prizes are in EUR:
| I | €50,000 |
| II | €40,000 |
| III | €30,000 |
| IV | €10,000 |
| V | €10,000 |
| VI | €10,000 |
The semifinalists will, excluding the prizewinners, each receive an award of €1,500.
A prize of €5,000 will also be awarded for the best performance of a Finnish song by a singer whose native language is neither Finnish nor Swedish, and a prize of €5,000 will be awarded for the best performance of a Lied.
The Jury reserves the right to distribute the prizes differently.
29 The Jury may also award other prizes approved by the Competition Committee.
30 The prize-giving ceremony will be held after the Finals on the same evening. Each prizewinner must be present to receive their prize in person.
OTHER RULES AND REGULATIONS
31 Principles of safer space
It is important that we maintain an open atmosphere of mutual respect, where it is easy for everyone to be themselves:
- We speak openly and respectfully. Together, we create a positive, inspiring ambience. Through our actions and choice of words, we actively aim to avoid making assumptions about other people’s life situations, identities, backgrounds, abilities or gender. Everyone is entitled to self-determination about themselves and their experiences.
- Discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated.
- Harassment and disrespectful behaviour will be dealt with accordingly. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, please report this to the organisers or a specially nominated official.
- We aim to communicate as clearly as possible for everyone to understand.
- Should we do something wrong, we assume responsibility and apologise. We commit to evaluating our actions critically and modifying them on a constant basis. We accept feedback during and after the event.
32 The Organiser has unlimited rights to transmit and record content and to broadcast competition performances on TV, radio, the Internet and other data networks without any payment to the competitors or their pianists.
The Organiser or an agreed third party also reserves the right to archive and disclose details of the competitors and to broadcast their competition performances on TV, radio and the Internet with no time or country restrictions. Competitors will not be sent recordings of their performances.
33 Competitors eliminated in the Preliminary round or Semifinals will be given a chance to discuss their results with members of the Jury.
34 The Competition Director may disqualify any competitor who does not abide by the rules. The competitor may appeal to the Competition Committee against the decision during the round in progress.
35 The original language of these rules is Finnish. Any disputes will be decided by reference to the original Finnish text.
