The Mirjam Helin Competition has announced the jury for this year’s competition.

This year, the jury will be led by an all-star line up of singers including Olaf Bär, Ben Heppner, Vesselina Kasarova, François Le Roux, Waltraud Meier, Deborah Polaski, and Kiri Te Kanawa.

The competition’s Executive Director Marja-Leena Pétas-Arjava said in a press release, “Once again, the Mirjam Helin Competition has an impressive, all-singer Jury. I believe the renowned Jury also tempts the world’s best young singers to apply.”

The competition is held once every five years and is known for its exacting repertoire, prestigious Jury and good prizes. The competition is open to women and men born in or after 1989 and 1987, respectively. There are two categories, one for women and one for men, and the prizes total €173,000. The first prize is worth €30,000 in both categories.

The competition will take place at the Helsinki Music Centre on May 20 through the 29 2019 and the finalists will be accompanied by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under its Chief Conductor Hannu Lintu.

For those who get to the finals, the competition will also include Master Classes taught by members of the Jury, and a Singers’ Studio.

The application deadline for the 2019 Mirjam Helin Competition is Nov. 30, 2018, with a shortlist of competitors announced on Jan. 25, 2019.