Marcela Rahal from Brazil and Filipe Manu from New Zealand win the first prize ex aequo in the 61st edition of the International Tenor Viñas Singing Competition.
- Mira Alkhovik from Russia and Sílvia Sequeira from Portugal have won the second and third prizes.
- The awardees will present a concert this Sunday, January 21, accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
- The prizes are valued at 116,000 euros in cash and also include 16 study grants and 15 contracts for performances at various theaters.
Barcelona, January 20, 2024. The International Tenor Viñas Singing Competition, one of the world's most important competitions for young lyrical talents, has declared Brazilian mezzo-soprano Marcela Rahal, aged 33, and New Zealand tenor Filipe Manu, aged 30, as joint winners of the 61st edition of the competition, founded in 1963.
The first prize, awarded ex aequo by the Puig Foundation and the Gran Teatre del Liceu Foundation, comes with a prize of 16,000 euros for each singer. Additionally, it includes a contract offered by the Gran Teatre del Liceu Foundation for the upcoming seasons.
The second prize, amounting to 15,000 euros and offered by the Friends of the Tenor Viñas Competition Group, was awarded to 26-year-old Russian soprano Mira Alkhovik, while the third prize of 11,000 euros, offered by Mrs. Cristina Bertran Salvans, went to 31-year-old Portuguese soprano Sílvia Sequeira. The fourth prize, totaling 8,000 euros, was awarded to American bass-baritone Christian Pursell, the fifth prize of 7,000 euros to the UK bass-baritone Ossian Huskinson, and the sixth prize of 6,000 euros to Italian soprano Sabrina Sanza.
The eighteen finalists were chosen from over five hundred participants from fifty-six different countries and performed this Friday in the Final Round of the competition, held at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
After the Final Round, a recital was held by soprano Gemma Summerfield, the first winner of the Tenor Viñas 2022 grand prize, accompanied by pianist Soojeong Joo.
The jury's verdict was announced in the Foyer of the Gran Teatre del Liceu and could be followed through streaming via the Liceu+ platform.
An internationally renowned jury
The jury was composed of artistic directors from some of the most important opera theaters in the world and distinguished personalities in the field of singing, such as:
Víctor Garcia de Gomar, artistic director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona
Damià Carbonell Nicolau, artistic administrator of the National Opera of the Netherlands
Alessandro Galoppini, casting director of Teatro alla Scala in Milan
Tobias Hasan, artistic director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin
Peter Mario Katona, casting director of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London
Joan Matabosch, artistic director of the Teatro Real in Madrid
Cristiano Sandri, artistic director of the Teatro Reggio in Turin
Brian Speck, artistic administrator of the Metropolitan Opera in New York
José Van Dam, bass-baritone designated by the Opéra national de Paris to represent this theater
Soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, participating thanks to the sponsorship of Coca-Cola
Pianist Roger Vignoles