What is the Rebecca Clarke Song Competition?
A brand-new national competition for classical singers and pianists, shining a spotlight on British women composers of the past 150 years and the extraordinary art songs that deserve their place in today’s canon.
We are so grateful to our competition supporters, including:
The Golsoncott Foundation | The Stanford Society | The Winship Foundation | Christopher Johnson | The Finzi Trust | Kind supporters donating in memory of Humphrey Morison | Private sponsors who wish to remain anonymous
Meet our Semi-finalists
Thank you to everyone who submitted recordings and programmes. We are delighted to announce the singer-pianist duos who will compete in London next January.
Join us for the Semi-Final (Public performance at ROSL, 19 Jan 2026, 1pm-4pm) and Final (Public performance at ROSL, 24 Jan 2026, 7pm) to experience the competition live and help support these artists.
Book Tickets to the Competition
Applications for the 2026 Rebecca Clarke Song Competition closed on 28 November 2025.
Thank you to everyone who submitted recordings and programmes.
Join us for the Semi-Final (Public performance at ROSL, 19 Jan 2026, 1pm-6pm) and Final (Public performance at ROSL, 24 Jan 2026, 7pm) to experience the competition live and help support these artists.
19 January, 2026
24 January, 2026
discount available for attending both via this link
Why Attend the Live Rounds?
The semi-finals and final are a rare chance to explore the powerful legacy of Rebecca Clarke, alongside repertoire by underperformed and living British women composers. Each duo performs a carefully curated programme chosen from our repertoire list, offering a unique opportunity to hear Clarke’s works within a broader landscape of voices from the past century and a half.
By attending the live rounds, you directly support SWAP’ra’s mission to promote equity and visibility for women in classical music.
Your presence helps to:
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fund the running costs of the competition
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support singer-pianist duos at a crucial career stage
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encourage performance and publication of overlooked repertoire
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inspire future research and programming of music by women
This is not only a competition, but also a space for discovery, celebration, and advocacy. Audience members play an important role in giving this repertoire and these artists the platform and recognition they deserve. We invite you to broaden your musical horizons and be part of this significant moment for British song.
Live Round Details
Venue: Royal Over-Seas League, London
Semi-Final: 19 January 2026, 1-6pm
Final: 24 January 2026, 7-10pm
Prizes:
1st Prize for Singers
£5000 + A Lunchtime Recital in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Concert Series
The Morison prize was generously donated by the friends and family of Humphrey Morison in his memory
1st Prize for Pianists
£5000 + a Recital in the London Song Festival
All pianists competing across both the semi-final and final rounds are eligible for this prize
The Winship Prize was generously donated by the Winship Foundation
2nd Prize for Singers
£1000
2nd Prize for Pianists
£1000
Both of these second prizes were generously donated by Christoper Johnson in memory of Rebecca Clarke
Prize for the Best Performance of a Song by a Living Composer
£1000
The Stanford Prize can be awarded to any duo competing across both the semi-final and final rounds. This prize was generously donated by the Stanford Society
Professional Publicity Videos:
All finalists will receive professionally recorded videos of their performances from the evening final of January 24th.
These videos were made possible thanks to the generous support of Adriana Turpin in Memory of Humphrey Morison
Panel:
Kitty Whately - mezzo soprano and co-founder of SWAP’ra
Anna Tilbrook - pianist
Nigel Foster - pianist and artistic director of London Song Festival
Sophie Dand - artist manager
Julien Van Mellaerts - baritone and curator of Opera In Song series at Opera Holland Park
