Renowned German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff has called on music competition juries to be more honest with contestants, arguing that even negative assessments should be communicated clearly and professionally.

“People often lie about this,” Quasthoff told the German Press Agency.

The 66-year-old singer won first prize at the ARD International Music Competition in 1988. Looking back on his own experience and his many years of working with young musicians, he said contestants are often troubled not simply by losing, but by never being told why they lost.

“Many students come to me after competitions and say, ‘We never know where we really stand, because everyone just tells us: Wasn’t that wonderful? If it had been up to me, I would have put you through.’”

In Quasthoff’s view, such well-meaning reassurance may do little to help young musicians develop. For an emerging instrumentalist or singer, being told that a performance was “very good” offers no insight into what went wrong or what needs to change.

Competitions, he argued, should do more than determine who advances and who is eliminated. They should also provide young musicians with professional feedback they can use to improve. Jury members should not avoid unfavorable judgments simply because they fear hurting a contestant’s feelings.

“Honesty is part of our profession, even when it involves negative criticism,” Quasthoff said. Young students, singers and instrumentalists “have to learn” how to deal with such judgments.

Losing a competition is often just one experience in a musician’s career. But if young artists receive nothing but vague encouragement, they may struggle to understand where their artistic interpretation, technical ability or stage presence falls short.

The most valuable mentors are not those who always say, “You were good,” but those willing to say, when necessary, “That was not good enough”—and explain why.

Quasthoff added that young musicians must learn not only to accept praise but also to withstand rejection. A professional career cannot consist solely of applause and advancement; criticism, elimination and failure are also part of an artist’s development.