• Sopranos Lina Tsiklauri (Georgia) and Jessica Ricci (Italy) took second and third place 
• The nine finalists performed at a gala show with an audience, accompanied by Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, conducted by maestro Óliver Díaz

Fundación Internacional Alfredo Kraus (FIAK), organiser of the X Concurso Internacional de Canto Alfredo Kraus (X CICAK), and the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, announced that Italian soprano Gesua Gallifoco had won first prize of the singing competition after deliberation by the jury, chaired by Canary Islands soprano Yolanda Auyanet, at a gala performance with an audience on Saturday 27 September at Auditorio Alfredo Kraus Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The other placegetters of the X CICAK were soprano Lina Tsiklauri, from Georgia, who took second prize, and Italian soprano Jessica Ricci, winner of the third prize.

In addition to the Official Prizes, the following Special Prizes were awarded at the gala: baritone Hae Kang, from South Korea, had a double win at the competition, taking the Audience Prize and the Prize for the Best Zarzuela Singer, provided by Legado Maestro Sergio Alonso CB; the winner of the second official prize, soprano Lina Tsiklauri, also had a double win, taking the Prize for the Best Opera Singer, provided by Fundación de Arte y Pensamiento Martín Chirino; and Colombian mezzosoprano Paola Leguizamón took the Prize for the Best Belcanto Singer, provided by Bodega El Grifo on its 250th anniversary.

The nine singers who participated in the final gala performance of the X CICAK were chosen from the 82 contestants assessed in the Semi-final Round, held at Auditorio Alfredo Kraus from Sunday 21 to Tuesday 23 September. The 82 singers earned their place in the Semi-final by taking part in the Preliminary Rounds held in Madrid, Florence and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, or had direct entry into the Semi-final after finishing as finalists or winners of other international singing competitions, under the rules of the X CICAK.

For the tenth singing competition, the organisers of the CICAK received 143 applications from 31 countries by the closing date of 30 June, beating all previous records.

The nine finalists who had the opportunity to perform at the final gala with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, directed by Óliver Díaz, were Hae Kang (baritone / South Korea), Lina Tsiklauri (soprano / Georgia), Vladyslav Tlushch (baritone / Ukraine), Gesua Gallifoco (soprano / Italy), Mattia Lee (baritone / South Korea), Paola Leguizamón (mezzosoprano / Colombia), JinHong Moon (baritone / South Korea), Mónica Redondo (mezzosoprano / Spain) and Jessica Ricci (soprano / Italy).

The members of the jury chaired by Yolanda Auyanet included representatives from the collaborating theatres, Isamay Benavente (director of Teatro Nacional de La Zarzuela, Madrid), and Giovanni Vitali (Casting Manager of Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence), alongside Alessandro Galoppini (Casting Manager of Teatro alla Scala, Milan), Alessandro Di Gloria (Casting Manager of Teatro dell’Opera, Rome), Javier Menéndez (Manager of Teatro de la Maestranza, Seville) and Ulises Jaén (General and Artistic Manager of Ópera de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria / ACO).

Also participating at the prize giving were Antonio Morales Méndez, President of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria; Rosa Kraus Ley, Chair of the Fundación Internacional Alfredo Kraus; Yolanda Auyanet, jury Chair, joined by the members of the jury; and representatives of the collaborating entities for this year’s competition: Jesús Castaño, Director of the Fundación Martín Chirino; Carmen Alonso Sánchez, granddaughter of composer Francisco Alonso López, representing Legado Maestro Alonso CB; and Fermín Otamendi, owner of Bodegas El Grifo.

Prizes and invitations to perform

The three Official Prizes awarded by the X CICAK were for 14,000, 12,000 and 10,000 euros, plus a diploma and a medal designed by Gara Martín Kraus, granddaughter of Alfredo Kraus.

In addition, four Special Prizes were awarded: the Audience Prize, for the most voted singer at the Final Round, of €2,500 and a diploma, provided by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria; the Prize for the Best Opera Singer, of €2,500, a medal and a diploma, provided by Fundación Martín Chirino de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; the Prize for the Best Zarzuela Singer, of €2,000, a plaque and a diploma, provided by Legado Maestro Alonso CB; and the Prize for the Best Bel Canto Singer, of €2,000, a trophy and a diploma, provided by Bodega El Grifo.