1. The Lexus Song Quest is open to all New Zealand singers, resident in New Zealand or living overseas, aged between 18 and 32 on Saturday 3 August 2024, except:
    - Singers whose main income during the past two years was derived from full-time professional singing;
    - Winners of the first place in a previous Lexus or Mobil Song Quest;
    - Employees of Tāwhiri, Toyota New Zealand Limited, Toyota Financial Services Limited, their advertising agencies, subsidiaries and Lexus dealership staff.
  2. A New Zealand singer is a person who is a citizen or resident of New Zealand; or any holder of a valid permanent residency visa to New Zealand.
  3. Entries will be accepted only by completing the online application on or before 5pm NZST, Wednesday 20 March 2024.
  4. If a candidate encounters technical problems during the online application, the candidate must inform the Competition Administrator about the problem as soon as possible by sending an email to info@songquest.nz so that the application can nonetheless be formally accepted on time. In order to avoid, as far as possible, any technical problems, it is strongly recommended that candidates start uploading videos/their materials 48 hours before the deadline for applications.
  5. All contestants must consent to participate in all media activity required by Tāwhiri and Lexus including but not limited to interviews, filming, photo shoots and social media participation. Any social media participation will be based on a content plan with guidelines to be advised by Tāwhiri.
  6. All recordings and any associated stills photography become the property of Tāwhiri and Lexus and may be used without reference or payment of fees.
  7. All entrants are required to submit their audition online and in video format. All recordings remain the property of the applicant. Should Tāwhiri or Lexus wish to use the any audition material publicly permission will be sought directly from the entrant.
  8. Entrants must prepare and submit a programme of four items for consideration by the audition panel.Entrants must upload a digital copy of the music for the judges use. Candidates are expected to use original scores of the works they perform. The Lexus Song Quest cannot be held responsible for any fraud committed by a candidate in this regard (public use of illegal copies).
  9. The video recording must be of a professional quality and must show the contestant performing the four items for judging purposes. The video performances must be unedited, clearly make visible the entrant’s chest and face at all times, recorded without excessive reverb or processing, have a good balance between the voice and piano and have been recorded during the last 18 months.
  10. Entrants will be notified of the selected ten Semi-finalists by email. Semi-finalists are required to participate in a range of media opportunities including but not limited to interviews, filming, photo shoots and social media participation. Semi-finalist official photoshoot and filming will take place between 15 - 17 May at a location confirmed closer to the time of the shoot. 
  11. Once notified, semi-finalists are required to submit their repertoire for the Semi-Final and Grand Final (including encore) stages of the Competition to the Administrator for review by the music librarian; PDFs of the marked up scores are required. Works that go above the detailed orchestration and duration will not be accepted.
  12. Semi-finalists must submit a detailed professional development proposal including a budget to the Administrator by Friday 5 July 2024, 5pm NZST. The proposal will be the basis for discussion in an interview between the Semi-finalist and the Head Judge.
  13. The ten Semi-finalists will travel to Wellington on Thursday 25 July 2024 for a meeting with the Head Judge, on Friday 26 July 2024. The Semi-Final concerts will be held in Wellington on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July 2024. Tāwhiri will provide an accompanist and meet the costs of domestic travel and accommodation for the duration of the Semi-Final concert weekend for any Semi-finalists not residing in Wellington. Neither Tāwhiri or Lexus will cover the cost of international airfares for any Semi-finalists living outside of New Zealand who must be available to participate in person in this part of the competition in Wellington.
  14. Semi-finalists will each perform two contrasting songs and one aria (with piano accompaniment) at the Semi-Final concerts in Wellington. Semi-Final programmes should demonstrate a range of languages. All items are to be sung in the original language and key (with the exception of accepted published transpositions of German Lied, French Melodie and European Art Song). You can choose to include any of the pieces from your audition for the Semi-Finals stage. Your selected aria can be one of the arias that you submit for the Grand Final. Each aria should not exceed seven minutes in performance.
  15. The Head Judge will announce the five finalists who will compete in the Grand Final at the end of the Semi-Final concerts. Radio New Zealand may broadcast the Semi-Final concerts live (to be confirmed).
  16. Semi-finalists agree to participate in future Lexus events during the year following the Lexus Song Quest Grand Final subject to their availability. Any participation in future Lexus events will be on a professional basis and will include payment of a fee as well as domestic travel and hospitality as required.
  17. Finalists will be required to attend rehearsals in Wellington prior to the Grand Final. Authorised domestic travel expenses and single hotel accommodation for any finalists not based in Wellington will be provided by Tāwhiri.
  18. At the Grand Final on Saturday 3 August 2024, the five finalists will sing one art song, lied or waiata accompanied by piano and two arias accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. One of your selected arias can be the same aria that you submit for the Semi-Finals stage and each aria must not exceed seven minutes in performance. Your selected song can be the same song that you submit for the Semi-Finals stage and must not exceed seven minutes in performance. Finalists must be prepared to sing to the accompaniment provided and be recorded for live radio, web and television broadcast.
    The instrumentation for each aria must NOT exceed the following: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, 1 timpani, 3 percussion, 1 harp, violins, second violins, violas, celli, double basses.
  19. The winner of the Lexus Song Quest will receive a cash prize of $50,000 net for professional development purposes. The runner-up will receive a cash prize of $20,000 net. The third prize winner will receive a cash prize of $15,000 net. The other two finalists will each receive a cash prize of $3,500 net. All recordings become the property of Tāwhiri and Lexus and may be used without reference or payment of fees.
  20. Contestants under contract to a recording company must obtain formal approval in writing to enable Tāwhiri and Lexus to use any recordings made. Evidence of any recording contract release must be included with the entry form.
  21. It is an express and paramount condition of entry that all entrants shall accept these conditions and the rulings of the various judges as final and binding, whether in relation to matters covered by these conditions or otherwise. Under no circumstances will correspondence be entered into with entrants, teachers or sponsors, or interviews granted regarding such decisions or rules.
  22. Tāwhiri and Lexus do not accept any responsibility for any accident, loss or injury that may occur to an entrant or his/her property, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, at any time, in relation to the Lexus Song Quest. Nor shall anything contained or implied in these conditions be deemed to create the relationship of master or servant as between the entrant and Tāwhiri and Lexus. It is a condition of entry that all entrants shall release Tāwhiri and Lexus from liability accordingly.