BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 competition begins

In 2013, operatic mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton from Georgia, USA, won both the song prize and the Cardiff Singer of the World prize

The search has begun for the next generation of opera singers for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015.

There will be auditions held in cities including Milan, Helsinki and New York.

A total of 19 singers from 25 countries will be picked for the competition.

Finalists will be announced early in 2015 and will join Welsh representative Celine Forest to compete for a place in the final, held in Cardiff from June 14 to 21.

The competition, held every two years, was launched in 1983 and David Jackson has joined as artistic director.

He said: "From their base in Cardiff the team have been busy preparing for the competition and I'm thrilled to be part of it.

"We have a new trio of expert judges travelling to eight cities to discover the competitors."