House of Arab Music (Photo: Cultural Development Fund website)
Organised by the Ministry of Culture’s Cultural Development Fund, the Golden Voice competition is one of the most important events for young people in Arab music.
The competition is returning for its sixth edition this year, after being suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
It is accepting submissions through 20 November.
Egyptians aged 18-38 are eligible to submit one song for the competition’s first phase by filling out an application at the Cultural Development Fund’s website.
Further details about the process are also available on the website.
Submissions may also be made directly through the fund’s offices located at the Cairo Opera House’s grounds, Zamalek, Cairo.
The Golden Voice competition was founded by late opera soloist Mohsen Farouk (1961-2017), who was also the director of the House of Arab Music (Beyt Al-Ghena' Al-Araby) where some contest finalists performed.
El-Kilani noted that the first prize, amounting EGP 20,000, will bear the name of Mohsen Farouk “in gratitude for his role in establishing the competition, and for being one of the knights of defending Egypt's musical identity and heritage.”
She added that Farouk was one of the first generation of the Arab Music Ensemble at the Egyptian Opera House.
The second prize is worth EGP 15,000 and third EGP 10,000.
The fourth to 10th prize winners will be awarded the certificates of achievement.
In the past years, the competition winners were also offered scholarships to study at the House of Arab Singing and opportunities to perform in front of an audience on multiple occasions.
The ministry has yet to reveal members of the jury panel.
Previous juries included, besides Farouk, numerous renowned Egyptian singers such as musicians Amir Abdelmeguid, Nadia Mostafa and Hany Shenouda, soprano Taheya Shams El-Din, Mohamed Alaa, music researcher Ines Galal-Eddin, among others.
Throughout its past editions, Golden Voice has shed light on dozens of Egyptian talents some of whom went on to launch singing careers.
The monetary awards have been raised throughout the competition’s consecutive editions, with the current budget being the highest one.
Short link: