Calling all singers 18–32! The 2026 Washington International Competition for Voice is open for applications!

The Friday Morning Music Club Foundation is thrilled to announce that the 2026 Washington International Competition (WIC) for Voice is underway. Until February 15, 2026, we will be accepting applications from young artists around the world, ages 18 to 32 (as of May 23, 2026), to compete in the Preliminary Round of the competition. The preliminary jury will review submissions and select approximately fifteen semifinalists, who will be invited to perform live before a distinguished panel of internationally renowned jurors in the semifinal round on May 23, 2026. We welcome you and encourage you to read thoroughly and follow the competition guidelines and instructions carefully. 

Complete details on eligibility, repertoire requirements, and the application process are available at https://fmmc.org/ and through the Acceptd portal at app.getacceptd.com/wic.

Preliminary Round results will be announced in late March 2026. Semifinals will take place at George Washington University in the Phillips Hall at 801 22nd Street, NW, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, starting at 9:00 am. 

Finals will take place on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at 2:00 pm in Washington, DC. The venue for our finals will move from the KC Terrace Theater to a new location is TBD. 

Semifinal and Final Round Judges for 2026
Stephanie Blythe, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Karen Slack, soprano

Prizes
1 first prize: $10,000
1 second prize: $5,000
1 third prize: $3,000
3 finalist prizes: $1,000 each
Audience prize: $1,000 
Winners are eligible for Performance Awards of solo appearance opportunities in the Washington, DC area.

Application Fee
In celebration of the 25th occurrence of the Washington International Competition for Voice, the members of the board of the Friday Morning Music Club Foundation have generously donated funding to allow the 2026 competition to be offered with no application fee. 

Required Repertoire
All works must be performed from memory at all stages of the competition. The same repertoire list must be used for the application and live competition rounds. 

• Four contrasting arias, selected from opera or oratorio.
• Nine art songs, meeting the following requirements:
  - Art songs in English, French and German must be included.
  - At least two art songs must be by an American composer.
  - Composed settings of folk songs or spirituals are permitted.
  - Musical theater selections are not permitted for any category.

Repertoire must include at least one work composed after 1975.
Repertoire must include at least one work by a composer from one of the following historically underrepresented demographics: Women; Black; of Asian, Middle Eastern, Native American or Latino/a (originating from Latin America) heritage.
The same work may be used to meet both of these requirements.

Eligibility
Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 32 as of May 23, 2026. 
Proof of age will be required. 
Singers of all nationalities are welcome and encouraged to apply.
Applicants must not be under professional management. 
Previous first-prize winners of the competition may not apply.
Current students of any of the judges may not apply. 

Housing and Transportation
The WIC provides local housing for all semi-finalists.
Local transportation and meals are also offered at the convenience of hosts. 
Housing is available for all semifinalists from May 22 through May 25.

Application Deadlines
Applications will be accepted from September 15, 2025 through February 15, 2026.
Deadline for preliminary round applications is February 15, 2026, by 11:59 pm EST.

Competition History and Purpose
The Washington International Competition (WIC) was established in 1950 to support outstanding young classical musicians in their pursuit of professional careers. The WIC occurs in a three-year rotation for piano, strings, and voice. As of 1976, a competition for composition of a chamber work for 3 to 5 players – string trio, string quartet, piano trio, piano quartet, or piano quintet – is also held concurrently with the strings competition.

Questions?
For repertoire and general questions, please contact Competition Chair Trudi Benford or Assistant Chair Yuri Chayama at wicvoice@fmmc.org.
For technical questions, please visit the Acceptd Help Desk.
Please visit our website here for more information.