Building on the success of our Young Artists Programme in recent years, we are now inviting 10 singer/pianist duos aged 30 years or under (on 10 April 2027), or artists who have graduated from a conservatoire or university within the past 2 academic years, to become Leeds Song Young Artists and fully immerse themselves in the many recitals, masterclasses, talks and events taking place during the Festival.

Programme Dates: Saturday 10 to Saturday 17 April 2027

Application deadline: Friday 13 November 2026, 5pm

There will be opportunities to work closely in masterclasses with renowned song artists including Sir Simon Keenlyside, Kate Royal, Mark Padmore CBE, Christiane Karg, Roger Vignoles, Audrey Hyland, Christoph Prégardien and actor Scott Brooksbank, all of whom will share their experiences of working on the international stage and explore the special ensemble relationship of voice and piano.

Young Artists will receive free tickets to all Festival events during the week featuring artists such as Sir Simon Keenlyside, Fatma Said, Sir Stephen Hough, Christiane Karg, Carolyn Sampson OBE, Christopher Maltman, Christoph Prégardien, Elizabeth Kenny, Errollyn Wallen CBE, Pauliina Tukiainen, Kitty Whately, Anna Tilbrook, Andrew Hamilton, Jess Dandy, Beth Taylor, Hamish Brown, Jaspdeep Singh Degun, Spoorthi Rao, Nicholas Mulroy, Festival Director Joseph Middleton as well as some 2026 Young Artist Alumni, performing in spotlight appearances as part of mainstage recitals.

Leeds Song Young Artists will also take part in a live-streamed recitals, with further opportunities to participate in: a study event with academic, Professor Natasha Loges; the Composers & Poets Forum, performing brand new songs which will be the culmination of the creative interdisciplinary song-writing project, A Leeds Songbook; a professional development Q&A session featuring a panel of music industry professionals; and to join the newly-formed Bring & Sing! Chorus in a performance of Mozart’s Requiem directed by Gareth Malone.

We are committed to nurturing young talent and our knowledgeable, generous and discerning audiences value the opportunity to follow the careers of our Young Artists. Leeds Song Young Artists may also be invited to take part in future Leeds Song concert seasons, alongside an already established tradition of Ferrier and Wigmore International Song Competition prizewinners and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists. Some recent Leeds Song Young Artist alumni appear in this year’s Festival.

Application Information:

• Please complete the online application form below by Friday 13 November 2026. 5pm.
• Duos are asked to submit a recent video recording of three contrasting songs of their choice (one in German, one in English and one in another language) for consideration by the selection committee.
• We regret that we are only able to accept video recordings electronically via a link such as YouTube or Google Drive, and cannot access videos via a file sharing link requiring a download (such as WeTransfer).
• Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 4 December 2026.
• Successful applicants must be fully available for the entire Festival period (Saturday 10 April to Saturday 17 April 2027). Attendance at ALL Festival events is obligatory and Young Artists must be able to arrive in Leeds by midday on Saturday 10 April and attend the Programme until the end of the Festival on the evening of Saturday 17 April 2027.
• Hotel accommodation during the Festival will be provided from Saturday 10 April to Sunday 17 April (8 nights), but Young Artists will be responsible for organising and paying for their own travel to and from Leeds.
• A fee of £400 per participant is payable in full by Friday 8 January 2027.
• Leeds Song regrets that it cannot permit any N/As other than in exceptional circumstances and then only by prior agreement in writing.
• Applicants must be aged 30 years or under (on 10 April 2027), or must be a current student or have graduated from a conservatoire or university within the past 2 academic years.