Melanie Mitchell Wins Singing Competition “Voice of Münsterland”

From the laboratory bench to the big stage: Melanie Mitchell secured first place in the “Voice of Münsterland” singing competition with a moving performance of “One and Only” by Adele.

08 September 2025 – PhD student Melanie Mitchell from Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) of Forschungszentrum Jülich wowed the audience at the Voice of Münsterland competition on 17 August 2025 – and secured first place. In addition to prize money of 400 euro, she was given the opportunity to perform again in Münster.

Audience Favourite at the City Festival

The competition, presented by Volksbank im Münsterland, took place as part of the Münster city festival. In the semi-finals on Saturday at Erbdrostenhof, Melanie qualified among ten participants for the grand finale on Sunday on the Top Act stage at Domplatz – and prevailed over the competition in the audience vote.

Goosebumps Moment With Adele Song

With her soulful interpretation of Adele's “One and Only”, she moved not only the audience but also numerous colleagues who were there to support her.

“My PhD experience has been challenging, and music helps me to keep going,” explains Melanie. She has had a passion for singing since childhood. The decision to participate was a step towards overcoming personal boundaries: “I wanted to push my boundaries and practice confronting anxiety.”

Enjoying the Preparations

Melanie prepared by practising daily and doing vocal strengthening exercises. Music is also an integral part of her everyday life off stage: whether in a small band project, singing on the streets of Münster city centre or singing in the laboratory after work, music is a source of focus and relaxation for her.

What happens next is still open: “In the summer, I often played on Ludgeristraße on Saturdays. Currently, my focus is on my doctorate and a second publication, but there are a few music projects in the pipeline,” reports Mitchell.

We congratulate Melanie on this success and are excited to hear her where she will perform next!