• This Saturday, 30 September, at 7.00 pm, the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus will host the final gala performance of the IX CICAK, where the finalists will be accompanied by the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by maestro Óliver Díaz
• Sixty five of the 110 singers who applied took part in the semi-final round held in the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus after they were chosen in the preliminary rounds in Madrid, Milan, Genoa and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, joined by the group of semi-finalists eligible for direct entry
• Tickets for the final, to be held in the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, are on sale at auditorioteatrolaspalmasgc.es and www.auditorio-alfredokraus.com, and at ticket offices at the Auditorium and Teatro Pérez Galdós

The jury of the IX Concurso Internacional de Canto Alfredo Kraus, chaired by Italian tenor and conductor Giuseppe Sabbatini, will announce the prize winners from among the finalists, who will perform at a public gala show on Saturday 30 September at 7.00 pm in the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Tickets for the final, which will include a performance by the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by maestro Óliver Díaz, are on sale at www.auditorioteatrolaspalmasgc.es and www.auditorio-alfredokraus.com, and at ticket offices at the Auditorium and Teatro Pérez Galdós.

The President of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales Méndez, the Councillor for Finance, Pedro Justo Brito, and the Chair of the Fundación Internacional Alfredo Kraus, Rosa Kraus Ley, representing the two organising institutions of the CICAK, expressed their satisfaction with the considerable impact the Competition has had once again.

At the semi-final round, held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday 24, Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 September, 65 contestants who had successfully completed the preliminary rounds in Madrid, Milan, Genoa and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria took part, joined by a group of singers with direct entry into the semi-final after finishing as finalists or winners of other international singing competitions, under the rules of the IX CICAK.

For the ninth CICAK, the organisers received 110 applications from 32 countries by the applications closing date, on 26 June.

Replies to the international call for applications made by the organisers of the IX CICAK were received from 47 sopranos, 22 mezzo-sopranos, 1 countertenor, 12 tenors, 20 baritones, 4 bass baritones and 4 basses, aged 21 to 35.

The 110 applicants were from 32 countries: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, France, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Monaco, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, United States, Ukraine and Venezuela.

At the preliminary rounds in Madrid, Milan and Genoa, held from 24 May to 8 June, the tribunal selected 23 candidates. At the preliminary round in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, held on 21, 22 and 23 September, 17 candidates from the 33 applicants were selected.

Internationally renowned jury

The jury of the IX CICAK will be chaired by Italian tenor and conductor Giuseppe Sabbatini. An admirer of the art of Alfredo Kraus, maestro Sabbatini is highly specialised in bel canto, and his repertoire of performances at the world’s major theatres closely resembles that of the Gran Canarian tenor. Sabbatini treasured the advice he gained from masterclasses with Kraus during their professional relationship, which he now passes on to his own students.

The jury will include representatives from the collaborating theatres: Daniel Bianco (Director, Teatro Nacional de La Zarzuela, Madrid), Alessandro Galoppini (Casting Manager, Teatro alla Scala, Milan), and Pierangelo Conte (Artistic Director, Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa). They will be joined by Eline De Kat (Artistic Coordinator, Opéra de Montecarlo), Cesidio Niño (Artistic Director, ABAO de Bilbao), Ulises Jaén, General and Artistic Manager, Ópera de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria/ACO; and honorary member Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo.

As in the last three events, the competition will be chaired by Rosa Kraus Ley, Chair of the FIAK and the CICAK, with Mario Pontiggia, Artistic Director of the FIAK and the CICAK, as Secretary.

The main task of the IX CICAK jury is to discover new opera talent and help young singers on their career path, in line with the original idea of the competition conceived by Alfredo Kraus.

Prizes and invitations to perform

The CICAK awards three official prizes of 14,000, 12,000 and 10,000 euros, and in addition to the monetary prizes and a diploma, the place winners will receive a medal designed by the tenor’s granddaughter, Gara Martín Kraus.

Three special prizes are also available: the Audience Prize, for the singer who receives most votes in the final round (€2,500 and a diploma), provided by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria; the prize for the best opera singer (€2,500 plus a medal and a diploma), provided by the Fundación Martín Chirino de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and the prize for the best zarzuela singer (€1,500 plus a plaque and a diploma), provided by Legado Maestro Alonso CB.

The finalists will also have the opportunity to be invited to auditions and/or productions, concerts or recitals by the members of the jury and the theatres they represent.