Marmande. "I'm full of adrenaline, my hands and legs are shaking": behind the scenes of the 37th edition of Nuits Lyriques, on the eve of the final

The pre-selection rounds for the singing competition took place on Tuesday, August 26th and Wednesday, August 27th. Nearly 200 candidates traveled to Lot-et-Garonne in the hope of winning.

Backstage at the Comœdia in Marmande, the constant back-and-forth between the candidates and organizers of the Nuits Lyriques singing competition feels like a meticulously executed ballet. "It's not easy to concentrate, but I'm starting to get used to it," explains Tara Cassan, a Parisian by birth who has been studying in Vienna, Austria, for two years. "I feel good; I try not to strain my voice too much before performing. I take the time to breathe and rediscover the sensations when I sing," she explains.

Next to her on August 26, Amandine Sanchez, from Perpignan, and Ève Uhlmann, from Lausanne, give each other some final advice before appearing before the jury on stage. "We met at the Béziers competition in April. It's good to see familiar faces again," explains the 21-year-old from Perpignan. "It's stressful, we want to give the best of ourselves," she continues. "Even though we've already participated in several competitions, they're all different. The atmosphere and conditions are completely different from one competition to another," adds Ève Uhlmann. Like the 170 other candidates from 38 countries, the two singers aspire to be selected for the grand finale , which takes place this Friday, August 29, on the Comœdia stage. The winner will receive a check for 5,000 euros and the certainty of being noticed by the opera world.

In the corner of the room, Stéphane Trébuchet, a pianist who accompanies some of the candidates, practices on the instrument provided backstage. Antoine Hummel comes to see him, sheet music in hand, so they can agree on the musical directions for his audition. "There's no rehearsal, so we try to adapt before going on stage," explains the 29-year-old candidate. While others prefer to stay calm to concentrate, he does jumping jacks while holding his breath. "It gets the machine going and relieves stress," he explains, amused.

It's harder to sing after eating, plus I won't be able to warm up again."

Through the walls of the wings, the final notes of Claudia Porrero-Cabrera's performance echo. In the airlock, between the stage and the wings, she confides, before her performance: "I'm full of adrenaline, my hands and legs are shaking." On the second day of the competition, she competed in the opera category. To recover from her audition, she has a ritual of her own: "I record myself singing, I listen to it again to make adjustments, then I write everything down in a notebook," she explains. "My family is totally behind me. They're almost all in Cuba, my grandmother wakes up at 3 a.m. to ask me how the auditions went."

The next day, Wednesday, August 27, the pre-selections for the opera category took over. Familiar faces were warming up backstage. Soprano Claudia Porrero-Cabrera sat in a corner, blowing into a water bottle. "It's much more stressful today. There are more candidates, I've had time to hear the others sing and compare myself," she explains.

The atmosphere is more studious than the day before: the candidates are rehearsing separately, creating a strange cacophony. The pianists take turns rehearsing with the singers before their performances. The soprano hands Stéphane Trébuchet her tablet containing her score for "Hérodiade." "Do you have a paper copy so I can annotate it?" "Wait, I can lend you my score," interjects Marjolein Appermont, who is participating in the competition for the first time.

Barely time to refocus before an organizer enters the wings. "We'll stop at number 135 for this morning." Some participants are relieved, while others mutter in displeasure. "It's harder to sing after eating. Plus, I won't be able to warm up again," fumes one candidate. The room empties suddenly, leaving the last candidate of the morning alone in the wings. "Toi Toi," the soprano calls to her as she leaves the room. A German term meaning "good luck," commonly used in the world of opera singing.

4:45 p.m., the jury is deliberating upstairs. A few anxious candidates are hanging around outside the theater, hoping to find the pre-selection results there. But the rules are strict; no one is entering the Comœdia. "For now, the atmosphere is good and the organization is smooth. We've been orchestrating the event for a few years, we're starting to get the hang of it," explains Philippe Mestres, president and director of the Marmande competition, as he leaves deliberations with the jury. Twelve candidates have been selected for the semi-finals in the French melody category, and 47 in the opera category.

Friday, August 29: French melody category final at 5 p.m.; opera category final at 8 p.m. Price: 35 euros, 30 if reduced.