About the competition
The Lav Mirski International Singing Competition was founded in 2013 at the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek, Croatia. Since then it has been held every year in May. The competition promotes and helps young singers in their educational and professional formation. It continuously generates singing excellence presenting the richness and diversity of vocal art, talents and creativity of young artists.
Competitors come from numerous countries: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Montenegro, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, the United States, South Africa, Taiwan, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Poland, Armenia, Greece, Germany, Czech Republic etc.
The competitors are young singers: pupils, students and graduates artists up to 32 years of age. Since the beginnings of the Competition more than 600 young artists have participated and performed in Osijek. The number of performers at the Lav Mirski International Singing Competition has been increasing every year, as well as the number of music institutions and countries from which the candidates come. Competitors’ performances are evaluated by a panel of expert judges consisting of internationally renowned and authoritative singers, vocal pedagogues, and conductors.
Valuable prizes from partners and sponsors of the competition have been provided for the best performers. Main sponsors are the network of Lions Clubs of Croatia. In addition to a prize money and special prizes, the absolute winner, laureate is awarded a special theatre director’s prize (which allows them to perform in the opera or concert programme of the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek within the regular theatre season).
Performing at the competition is an opportunity to present the achievements of persistent singing work, the final performing moment of long-term music education, training and preparation, and a professional opportunity for the soloist scene appearance.
Our Story
The Lav Mirski competition is the only competition of this type in the eastern part of the Republic of Croatia; its programme concept makes it specific and unique in the whole country (diversity and scope of musical styles and programmes, a significant number of singing categories according to age and type of music literature). The Competition is based on high professional organizational and artistic quality principles. With this competition, both the Academy and the City of Osijek have gained an internationally recognizable cultural brand of a high quality and artistic profile, thus emerging as important music centres in terms of artistic events of wider international significance.
This competition has the character of a public cultural event, so that all events in the competition are exceptional concerts open for and visited by the public. Every spring for several days of the competition, the city of Osijek comes to life as a place of festivities of top vocal music. The achievements of the Lav Mirski competition find their further dissemination in the form of professional engagements of young singers, permanent artistic training, exchange of experiences and the establishment of national and international cultural cooperation.