Almost 300 entries for A-ROSA’s singer-songwriter contest ‘Showtime’
Almost 300 artists have entered A-ROSA’s onboard singer-songwriter contest ‘Showtime’. The expert judges, who include representatives from TV Noir, SofaConcerts and A-ROSA, have now selected the 60 entrants who will take part in the contest cruises on the Danube and the Rhine from April to October 2020.
“We found the selection process really difficult, because the quality of the applications was generally very high,” explained Jörg Eichler, CEO of A-ROSA River Cruises. “Of course, when we were evaluating the entries we did consider whether the music would be likely to appeal to A-ROSA audiences, which include people of all ages. But the artist’s personality, presence and individuality were also important criteria,” he added.
The artists represent a wide range of musical genres, from pop, indie and rock to R‘n’B and folk. Each contestant will have the opportunity to take part in two 7-night cruises on the Danube and the Rhine, attempting to win over the audiences at two evening concerts per cruise.
Judge Miriam Schütt from SofaConcerts described the contest’s appeal for the guests as follows: “The lounge concerts on board the A-ROSA ships allow people to experience artists up close and really get a feel for the true essence of the music. This kind of set-up also gives guests the chance to talk to the artists and ask them questions.”
The guests then become an onboard jury themselves and rate the artists. The ten semi-finalists chosen by the guests will receive €2,500 in prize money. They will also have the opportunity to appear regularly on the A-ROSA ships in 2021.
“This entire experience – being able to attend two live concerts on board, meet the artists in person and be part of the singer-songwriter contest – won’t cost our guests anything extra. It will be one of those special A-ROSA moments that our guests really love us for,” said Eichler.
During the grand finale cruise on the Rhine from 18 to 25 October, the guests will award one artist with the audience prize, which is worth €5,000. In addition, A-ROSA’s expert judges – Birgit Fuß from Rolling Stone, Miriam Schütt and Marie-Lene Armingeon from SofaConcerts, Tex Drieschner from TV Noir and Jörg Eichler, CEO of A-ROSA – will select an overall winner.
This artist will receive a prize of €40,000 – as well as being given the opportunity to perform at the 2020 International Music Awards in Berlin.
