From a total of 546 participants of 53 countries, chilean soprano Yaritza Véliz won third place in 57 Tenor Viñas Contest, in addition to the special awards for the Best Performance of French opera, and those delivered by Teatro Real and LG Artist Management. This year of the six official awards, five have fallen to women, two sopranos and three mezzo-sopranos.

The Russian mezzo-soprano Victoria Karkacheva , 29, wins the first prize of the 57th edition of the Tenor Viñas International Singing Contest, in the Final held this Friday at Gran Teatre del Liceu. The Second Prize has fallen to the Natalia Kutateladze Mezzosoprano 28-year-old (Georgia), while the Third Prize has been awarded to chilean soprano Yaritza Véliz Aquea , 28 years old. The rest of the official awards have gone to the Korean low-baritone Insik Choi (Fourth Prize), american mezzo-soprano Melissa Zgouridi (Fifth Prize) and finally venezuelan soprano María Brea (Sixth Prize).

In the Final of Tenor Viñas this year 17 singers participated, from a total of 546 from 53 countries. The artists have gone through qualifying tests in London, New York, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Beijing, San Francisco, Moscow and Madrid. Of the total participants, 224 are sopranos, 115 tenors, 61 mezzo-sopranos, 82 baritones, 29 bass, 26 bass-baritones and 9 contratenores.

Finalistas 57 Concurso Internacional de Canto Tenor Viñas © A. Bofill

The international jury of this new edition of the contest has been chaired for the first time by the new Artistic Director of the Liceu, Víctor Garcia de Gomar. The members of this jury were: Richard Bonynge AC CBE (Australia), conductor; Giuseppe Cuccia (Italy), Artistic Administrator of the National Center for the Performing Arts of China, Beijing; Mariella Devia (Italy), soprano; Alessandro Galoppini (Italy), Director of the singing companies of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan; Tobias Hasan (Austria), Director of the Staatsoper in Berlin; Joan Matabosch (Spain), Artistic Director of Teatro Real from Madrid; Peter Mario Katona (Germany), Casting Director of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London; Ludmila Talikova (Russia), Director of the opera company of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia (Moscow); Ilias Tzempetonidis (Greece), Casting Director of the Opéra National de Paris; and Diane Zola (United States) Assistant Artistic Administrator of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

OFFICIAL AWARDS

First Grand Prize Tenor Viñas, offered by the “Fundació Puig” and the “Fundació Gran Teatre del Liceu”: Victoria Karkacheva (Russia).

Second Prize offered by the group “Amics del Concurs Tenor Viñas”: Natalia Kutateladze (Georgia).

Third Prize “Maria Esperança Salvans Piera”, offered by Mrs. Cristina Bertran Salvans: Yaritza Véliz Aquea (Chile).

Fourth Prize offered by “Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona” and “Villasa SL in memoriam by Javier Villavecchia and Marta Obregón”: Insik Choi (South Korea).

Fifth Prize, offered by the group “Amics del Concurs Tenor Viñas”: Melissa Zgouridi (United States).

Sixth Prize, offered by “Hoteles Catalonia” and the “Amics del Concurs Tenor Viñas” group: Maria Brea (Venezuela).

SPECIAL PRIZES

• Special Prize, offered by the Teatro de la Zarzuela, to the best performer of Zarzuela: Maria Brea (Venezuela).
• Special Prize, offered by Leonor Gago, director of Concerlírica Ópera Internacional, to the best Russian music performer: Victoria Karkacheva (Russia).
• Special Prize, offered by Associació Liceistas 4rt and 5è pis, to the best interpreter of Verdi: Alexander Köpeczi (Romania).
• Special Prize, offered by the Banking Foundation “La Caixa”, to the best performer French Opera: Yaritza Véliz Aquea (Chile).

EXTRAORDINARY AWARDS

• Extraordinary Prize, offered by the Ferrer-Salat Music Foundation, to six Spanish singers: Aina Martín, Sara Bañeras, Yolanda Sánchez, Ana Fernández Guerra, Inés Ballesteros and Manuel Fuentes.
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by tenor Plácido Domingo, to the best Spanish singer: Manuel Fuentes (Spain).
• Extraordinary Prize “Mercedes Viñas”, offered by Mrs. Teresa Vilardell: Melissa Zgouridi (United States).
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by Teatro Real of Madrid, to the first four winners of an Official Prize: Victoria Karkacheva (Russia), Natalia Kutateladze (Georgia), Yaritza Véliz Aquea (Chile) and Insik Choi (South Korea).
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by the Castell de Peralada Festival, to a winner of an Official Prize: Manuel Fuentes (Spain).
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by the Associació d’Amics de l’Òpera de Sabadell and its President, soprano Mirna Lacambra, to a winner of an Official Prize: Natalia Kutateladze (Georgia).
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by Mrs. Leonor Gago, director of LG Artist Management to a finalist: Yaritza Véliz Aquea (Chile).
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by the Accademia Musicale Chigiana of Siena (Italy), to a young singer: Vladyslav Buialskyi (Ukraine).
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by the European Opera Center, to a European singer: Stefan Astakhov (Germany).
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by Internationale OpernWerkstatt, to 5 singers: Malaba Blaise (Congo), Olha Rudyk (Ukraine), Imra Klochko (Russia), Ruslana Koval (Ukraine) and Alexander Köpeczi (Romania).
• Extraordinary Prize, offered by the International Academy of Music Elena Obraztsova, to two singers: Natalia Skrycka (Mexico), Stefan Astakhov (Germany)
• Prize of the public attending the final test: Natalia Kutateladze (Georgia) and Insik Choi (South Korea).

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