“No vocal contest better targets today’s total-package talents.” — Opera News

In 1998, to honor the centenary of the birth of Lotte Lenya (1898-1981), an extraordinary singing actress and one of the foremost interpreters of the music of her husband, Kurt Weill (1900-1950), the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music established an annual Lotte Lenya Competition. A one-of-a-kind contest that requires demonstration of both acting and vocal skills, the Lenya Competition celebrates talented singing actors of all nationalities, ages 19-32, who can "do it all" across the dynamic landscape of lyric theater. Prize amounts, applicant pools, and diversity of contestants have all grown substantially since 1998. Approximately 25% of applicants now come from abroad. The essential concept of the competition however has remained constant for a quarter century: rewarding contestants for fully enacted, idiomatic performances of a wide range of repertoire.

To celebrate the Lenya Competition's 25th anniversary in 2023, all prize amounts increased including the top prize from $20,000 to $25,000. To date more than $1.6 million has been awarded to over 800 singers from dozens of countries through the Lenya Competition.

Many winners of the Lenya Competition have gone on to illustrious careers. Recent highlights from alumni include Michael Maliakel (2015) starring in the title role of Aladdin on Broadway, Lauren Michelle (2015) in Teatro alla Scala's Die sieben Todsünden/Mahagonny Songspiel 2021 double-bill, Zachary James' (2009) lead role in Akhnaten at the Met and English National Opera, and Briana Elyse Hunter's (2014) origination of the "Mother" in Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson's Blue. The roster of past Competition judges features a "who's who" of acclaimed musical theater and opera figures, among them Teresa Stratas, Harold Prince, Julius Rudel, Patricia Racette, Jack Viertel, and Rebecca Luker.

"This competition is unparalleled in the crossover world between opera and musical theater. Any aspiring artist who wishes to pursue a career in either or both arenas should enter!" -Victoria Clark, Tony Award-winning actress and five-time Lenya Competition judge