A total of 8 prestigious opera houses have selected 65 singers from the 645 candidates who participated in the preliminary rounds held in November. The preliminary audition at the Gran Teatre del Liceu will take place at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu (on January 15, 16, and 17), with the final round being held at the Gran Teatre del Liceu on January 24. The competition will award €121,000 in cash prizes, 15 contracts, and 16 scholarships. As a new feature this year, the first prize has been increased to €30,000
The Tenor Viñas International Singing Competition, one of the most important competitions in the world for young opera talents, returns to Barcelona in January 2025 for its 62nd edition. It was in 1963 when Jacint Vilardell, a doctor and patron from Barcelona, founded the competition in memory of his father-in-law, the renowned Catalan tenor Francesc Viñas.
On January 18, the competition officially begins at the Saló de Cent in Barcelona’s City Hall, with an opening speech by Ms. Maria Serrat i Martín, director of the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu.
Following this, the traditional annual recital will be performed by soprano Maria Guleghina, accompanied by pianist Aram Avetyan.
The 62nd edition will conclude with the Final Round (on January 24) and the Winners’ Concert (on January 26).
As in previous editions, the co-organizing opera houses, together with the Gran Teatre del Liceu, have announced the results of the preliminary rounds held throughout November. 65 singers from various countries have been selected by the Metropolitan Opera House of New York, Opéra National de Paris, Los Angeles Opera, Royal Opera House in London, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Teatro Real in Madrid, National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and Deutsche Oper in Berlin.
Those selected in these November preliminary rounds will advance to the second round, along with singers selected from the 276 contestants participating in the preliminary auditions at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, which will take place from January 15 to 17, 2025.
The second round and the competition’s semifinals will also be held at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu between January 19 and 22, 2025.
The grand final will take place on Friday, January 24, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu at 3:00 PM. While the jury deliberates, a recital will be given by soprano Olga Kulchynska (winner of the first prize in the 52nd edition of the Tenor Viñas Competition), accompanied by pianist Rodrigo de Vera. At the end, the jury's verdict will be announced, and this year, as a novelty, it will be revealed in the main hall of the theater for all attendees of the final round.
On Saturday, January 25, at 12:00 PM, a dialogue between Maria Guleghina and Víctor García de Gomar, artistic director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, will take place. This event will be open to the public in the Liceu's Foyer.
Finally, on Sunday, January 26, the winners will take center stage in a final concert with orchestra at the same venue, where the prizes will also be awarded.
These events will be available for streaming on the website tenorvinas.com:
The opening at the Saló de Cent in Barcelona City Hall (Saturday 18), the grand final and the subsequent recital (Friday 24), “A Dialogue between Maria Guleghina and Víctor García de Gomar” (Saturday 25).
New Feature: Torras Foundation Special Award
As a new addition this year, the Torras Foundation Special Award will also be granted, offered by the Houston Grand Opera (HGO) in honor of Joyce DiDonato and sponsored by the Torras Foundation. This award will be given to the most outstanding and promising young vocal talent. It underscores the Houston Grand Opera's commitment to nurturing the next generation of opera talents through its Butler Studio program, from which the acclaimed alumna Joyce DiDonato emerged.
The awarded singer will be selected by Mr. Colin Brush, representative of the Houston Grand Opera, who will be present in Barcelona. The recipient will receive $25,000 and an automatic invitation to compete in the semifinal round of the Houston Grand Opera’s 2025-2026 Eleanor McCollum Competition. This award is open to any contestant in the competition and is not restricted to official prize winners.
