News & Announcements 

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The Emmy Destinn Young Singers Awards 2025

               14th Competition London

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Preliminary Rounds 12th and 13th November 2025

Final 23rd November 2023 before a public audience

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​First Prize £2000  Emmy Destinn medal (sculpted in bronze by Jakub Vlček)

Robert Hendra Emerging Artist Prize £1000

Czech Song Prize £500

Dvořák Society for Czech and Slovak Music Prize £500

Accompanist’s Prize £300

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Application Deadline       20th October 2025​

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Entry details - Emmy Destinn Foundation

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The Royal Academy of Music

Robert W. Hendra Scholar 2025

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​​​​​​​​​YIHUI WANG – TENOR

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Yihui Wang is a tenor in his first year of Royal Academy Opera, studying with Catherine Wyn-Rogers and Iain Ledingham. His studies at the Academy are supported by the Robert W Hendra Scholarship.

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The Robert W. Hendra Singing Competition 

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Robert was born in Sacramento, California on January 30th 1938, and often talked of his early memories of listening to Saturday afternoon broadcast performances from the Metropolitan Opera House. These memories laid the foundation of his love of singing which continued until his sad death in 2022. He loved nothing better than the anticipation of sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for an opera performance to begin. Bob had heard most of the great singers of the twentieth century, and many first performances of lesser-known operas. Over many years he built up an extensive collection of recordings, gaining a reputation as a collector of some repute.​

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Although not himself a singer, he was fascinated throughout his long life by the sounds of the human voice. While living in London from the early seventies, there was not a performance of opera which he knowingly missed and in later life, after he moved to Cornwall about ten years ago, his life centred around listening/watching on-line to performances from around the world.

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To say listening to singing was Bob’s hobby would be to diminish his heart’s delight in being part of the operatic world. It became the very centre of his existence and so it is with joy and pride that we announce this Singing Competition in his name.

 

His generosity in funding this Competition speaks of his great love of singing and singers.

 

Further details re applications and auditions for the competition will be announced shortly.

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Events Calendar  - TBA​​

• Concerts & Recitals – 

• Dates and locations of performances featuring supported musicians.

• Networking & Industry Events – Conferences, panel discussions, or networking sessions beneficial to young musicians.

• Masterclasses & Workshops – Upcoming training events with leading professionals.

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