Bo Wang wins Helmut Deutsch Song Competition in Vienna
Bo Wang, a 25-year-old bass-baritone from China and master's student in Prof. Roman Trekel's voice class, won first prize, worth €10,000, and the audience prize at the 5th International Helmut Deutsch Song Competition in Vienna. He also received an Encouragement Award as a finalist in the Operalia Competition 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The International Helmut Deutsch Song Competition, which took place for the fifth time from 8 to 13 September 2025, is the only regularly held competition in the city of Vienna dedicated exclusively to the songwriting of Austrian composers. The competition honoured works by composers such as Franz Schubert, Hugo Wolf and Gustav Mahler, as well as lesser-known but no less significant composers such as Johanna Müller-Hermann. The competition offers young talents the opportunity to present their skills to a critical audience and promote their careers. It is under the artistic direction of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and is named after the renowned Austrian song accompanist Helmut Deutsch, who also chairs the jury.
The Operalia Competition is an international opera competition aimed at young singers between the ages of 20 and 32. This year, the competition took place in Sofia from 20 to 26 October 2025. The final round was held in the form of a gala concert with orchestral accompaniment.
Bo Wang began his vocal studies in China at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music with Prof. Dr. Weilong Tao from 2018 to 2023. In 2021, he was awarded the Golden Bell Award, China's highest music award. Since 2024, he has been continuing his education in the form of a master's degree at the Eisler. As an opera singer, Bo Wang has already appeared in productions such as The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni and La Bohème. In the field of art song, he has been active as a participant in the Lied Academy of the Heidelberg Spring Festival 2024/25 and as a soloist in numerous recitals.