At the Heart of Music Is the Human Voice

WFIMC: This year marks the 50th edition of the International Music Performance Competition Sigall. What does that anniversary mean to you?
Pedro-Pablo Prudencio: It is a very important anniversary, and I am especially happy that the 50th edition coincides with the voice category. For me, the human voice is really at the heart of music!
The competition is a very important cultural event in Chile and throughout the region. It attracts young artists from Chile, South America and other parts of the world, while audiences also travel to Viña del Mar to attend. It has a long tradition and remains highly respected.
There were periods when the competition was an enormous event nationally and internationally. Our responsibility now is to give it new momentum and new visibility, while preserving its identity and importance.

You have recently assumed the role of Artistic Director. What are your priorities?
My task is to bring new energy and new light to the competition. This involves the artistic profile, but also communication and the way we present the competition to the world.
The Sigall has enormous potential. It is not simply a cultural event; it is also a showcase for emerging artists. Young musicians come to Chile from different parts of the world, and in turn Viña del Mar becomes a window through which Chile is seen internationally. We are working to communicate this more effectively. The website and the competition’s presentation are being developed further, because the importance of the event should be immediately clear to prospective applicants, audiences and institutions.

How did the competition begin?
It was founded by a music lover who dreamed of creating something comparable to the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. He brought together contacts, including people in Vienna, and succeeded in establishing an international competition in Viña del Mar.

For a long time, it was the only international competition of its kind in South America. That history gives it a special place. To maintain an institution for 50 years is no small achievement, particularly when cultural organizations must continually secure funding and justify their work.

What are the main challenges today?
Funding remains a challenge. We have to use every resource carefully and continually explain why the competition matters. It offers opportunities to young artists, creates international connections and brings cultural attention to Viña del Mar and Chile.
At the same time, there are still many people who believe in the competition and work toward the same goal. That gives us the confidence to continue developing it.

How has international interest evolved for the 2026 voice competition?
The number of applications was three times higher than the previous year! We received applications from almost every part of the world, across three continents. There were many singers from Korea and China, as well as applicants who are studying or have studied in Germany.

Germany has traditionally been an important center for musical education, and that is reflected in the profile of the applicants. Of course, I would still like to see greater participation from Africa and Australia, and ultimately we hope to receive many more applications. Communication is an area we must continue to improve.

The competition offers substantial support to semifinalists. Why is that important?
It is a significant incentive. Semifinalists can request reimbursement for one economy-class round-trip airfare, up to a maximum of 2,000,000 Chilean pesos (approx. 1850 EUR) They also receive a fixed contribution toward accommodation, meals and internal transfers. This support makes a meaningful difference. Not every competition can offer it, and it demonstrates that we want talented singers to have a genuine opportunity to participate, regardless of where they come from.

What does the 2026 competition ask of singers artistically?
The structure is designed to leave room for individual identity. In the preliminary video selection, applicants must submit three works, including at least one opera or oratorio aria and one Lied, with at least two different languages represented.
The semifinal program can last up to 23 minutes. It must include a work commissioned specifically for the competition from a Chilean composer, an opera aria- and it must be in at least two languages.
For the final, each singer submits two programs of 20 to 25 minutes. The Artistic Direction selects one of them for performance with the competition orchestra. 

I deliberately avoided imposing requirements concerning different historical periods. That could create difficulties for certain voices—for example, a countertenor, whose repertoire may naturally be concentrated in Baroque and contemporary music. It is more important that each singer can demonstrate their strengths and reveal their personality.

Why is the Chilean commissioned work especially significant?
The mandatory work “La Tumba de los Signos” was commissioned from Tomás Brantmayer , a Chilean composer despite his Austrian name. It is based on a text by Chilean poet Juan Luis Martínez and will be performed in the semifinal.
I insisted that it be sung in Spanish, without an English alternative. I want to hear how a Korean singer learns and interprets Spanish, just as singers from other countries must engage with German, Russian or French. That encounter between the artist and the language is really interesting and artistically revealing.
There will also be a prize for the best interpretation of the mandatory Chilean work. It is an important way of placing Chilean creation at the center of an international competition.

What kind of artist are you hoping to discover?
We are looking for singers who touch the listener as artists. Vocal quality and technique are essential, but interpretation is equally important. I am interested in artistic personalities—performers who have something individual to communicate.
The repertoire a singer chooses already tells us a great deal. That is why I wanted the programs to be as open as possible within the formal requirements. A singer’s choices reveal their imagination, their strengths and the kind of artist they wish to become.
The jury has also been conceived broadly. There are singers, but also people with professional experience in management and casting. Each may notice something different: vocal potential, artistic depth, stage presence or whether a performer has the qualities needed for a sustainable career.

How many singers will reach the live rounds?
A maximum of eight singers will be selected for the semifinal, and three will advance to the final. The live rounds will take place at the Municipal Theatre of Viña del Mar from 4 to 9 October 2026.

The competition is held in a city often associated with tourism. What role does Viña del Mar play?
Viña del Mar is a beautiful city with a strong connection to the sea and a lively summer atmosphere, but it is much more than a holiday destination. It forms part of a large urban area together with Valparaíso and neighboring cities.

Valparaíso is one of Chile’s important port cities, while Viña del Mar has its own cultural identity and a substantial audience for classical music. People from the region even travel to Santiago to attend concerts and performances. Santiago is roughly 100 to 120 kilometers away, so it is entirely possible to come to Viña del Mar for the competition and return the same day.

The Municipal Theatre of Viña del Mar has recently reopened following extensive renovation. It was seriously affected by the 2010 earthquake and had to be restored. It is now a beautiful venue with good acoustics, and it is wonderful that the competition can once again take place there.

What can you tell us about Chile’s wider musical landscape?
The musical scene is somewhat centralized in Santiago, but more orchestras have been founded in other regions and cities in recent years. Chile has an extraordinary amount of talent, although the structures for supporting young musicians still need to be strengthened.

There are promising artists in many disciplines: voice, horn, cello, piano and violin, among others. Chile has also benefited from important composers and teachers who have educated several generations of musicians and helped create strong musical traditions.

I mentioned horn earlier because Chile has a particularly impressive horn tradition. Chilean horn players occupy principal positions in leading orchestras around the world. One of my ambitions is to introduce additional disciplines to the competition, perhaps horn. A conducting competition would also be very attractive, although that requires a well-established orchestra and is therefore more complicated.

Traditionally, Sigall alternates among voice, violin, piano, cello and guitar. Violin is scheduled for next year. In the longer term, we would like to broaden that model, but we must proceed carefully and realistically.

International Music Performance Competition Sigall 2026: at a glance

Discipline: Voice 
Live rounds: 4–9 October 2026 
Venue: Municipal Theatre of Viña del Mar, Chile 
Eligibility:Singers of all nationalities aged 18–32 
Semifinalists: Maximum of eight 
Finalists: Three 
Application deadline: 18 June 2026, 23:59 Chilean continental time (GMT-4) 
Application fee: None 
First prize: US$15,000 
Second prize: US$8,000 
Third prize: US$5,000 
Additional distinctions: Best Performer of the Chilean Mandatory Work and Audience