Hotels near the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World

The biennial BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition returns to Wales' capital. Top young classical singers from 25 countries converge on the New Theatre and St David's Hall, to compete before a distinguished panel of judges for the coveted title.

First held in 1983, when Finnish soprano Karita Mattila won, the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition has become one of the world's most respected vocal contests. The Song Prize heats at the New Theatre culminate in Friday's song final at St David's Hall, which is the venue for all four heats of the opera competions, accompanied either by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, this year conducted by Jac van Steen, or the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, this year under Lawrence Foster, and Sunday's final.

The competition is covered fully across BBC radio and television and excitement is always generated with the Audience Prize. With judges such as Kiri te Kanewa, Dennis O'Neill and Marilyn Horne, the standard has to be high. Other previous winners have included Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Bryn Terfel (both in 1989, with Terfel taking the Lieder Prize), Anja Harteros (1999), Andrew Kennedy (Lieder Prize, 2005), Chinese bass Shenyang and Elizabeth Watts (Lieder Prize) in 2007, and Russian soprano Ekaterina Shcherbachenko in 2009.