International Meistersinger Academy (IMA)

A World-Class Singing Academy in the Oberpfalz

The International Meistersinger Academy (IMA) is an extraordinary phenomenon in the South German festival landscape. What began in 2011 as an ambitious singing scholarship has developed into one of the world's most respected masterclass academies for classical singing. In 2026, the IMA celebrates its 15th anniversary.

Edith Wiens and Brigitte Fassbaender

The artistic director and founder of the IMA is Prof. Dr. Edith Wiens, one of the most important Canadian-German sopranos and vocal pedagogues of her generation. The patron is the legendary mezzo-soprano Brigitte Fassbaender, who herself regularly acts as a mentor at the academy. The association of these two personalities gives the IMA an international reputation that extends far beyond the small Upper Palatinate town of Neumarkt.

Full Scholarship for Selected Talents

The IMA is a fully funded scholarship program: accommodation, tuition, coaching, recordings, and performances are free of charge for the scholarship holders. Each year, around 20 to 30 aspiring professional singers from all over the world are admitted – often with hundreds of applications per place.

What the Academy Offers

• Opera Gala Concerts with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra
• Lied Recitals, recorded by Bayerischer Rundfunk / Studio Franken
• Masterclasses with guest professors changing weekly
• Vocal coaching with Prof. Wiens and personal coaching
• Demo recordings in a professional studio
• Auditions before 30 opera directors, casting agents, and organizers – a career booster that few festivals can offer
• Opera Verace Prize: starting in 2026, the Opera Verace Foundation will award prizes to three singers from the academy

Five Public Concerts in 2026

The academy is not just an internal educational program – five public concerts take place as part of the summer academy, where the scholarship holders present their skills. They are the highlight of the Neumarkt concert season.

The Historic Reitstadel as a Venue

The venue is the Historic Reitstadel at Residenzplatz in Neumarkt – a former riding hall from the 17th century, which was converted into an acoustically high-quality concert hall in the 1990s. With around 400 seats, it offers the ideal size for vocal concerts: large enough for orchestral accompaniment, intimate enough for Lied recitals. The Reitstadel is also home to the Neumarkt Concert Friends, who shape the city's year-round concert life.

Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz

Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, the district town of the district of the same name, is located between Nuremberg and Regensburg at the intersection of Frankenalb and Oberpfalz. With around 41,000 inhabitants, the town is manageable; it is all the more remarkable that it is home to an internationally renowned singing academy. The IMA has made Neumarkt the "Summer City of Bel Canto" and established it in the classical music world.

Anniversary Special Concert on April 30, 2026

Before the regular summer program, an anniversary concert will take place on April 30, 2026, in the Historic Reitstadel with the Munich Radio Orchestra under Matthias Foremny – featuring selected IMA alumni. Ticket pre-sale started in February 2026.