• On Monday 30 June applications close for the preliminary round in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, from 18 to 20 September, and direct entry into the semi-final round
• The singers chosen at the three preliminary rounds will go on to the semi-final, taking place from 21 to 23 September at Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The first stage of the X Concurso Internacional de Canto Alfredo Kraus (X CICAK), organised by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and Fundación Internacional Alfredo Kraus, has been completed after the holding of two preliminary rounds at Madrid’s Teatro Nacional de La Zarzuela (5 and 6 June) and Florence’s Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (13 and 14 June).

Twenty-seven candidates (10 sopranos, six mezzosopranos, five tenors, five baritones and one bass-baritone) from 17 countries (Spain, Andorra, Portugal, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, China, Canada, United States, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Peru and Argentina) were eligible to go on to the semi-final round.

The members of the tribunals that selected the young singers included Rosa Kraus Ley (Chair of the FIAK and the CICAK) and Mario Pontiggia (Artistic Director of the FIAK and the CICAK), who were joined in Madrid by Isamay Benavente, Director of Teatro Nacional de La Zarzuela, and Miguel Galdón, Deputy Director of the same theatre, and in Florence by Laura Kraus Ley, board member of the FIAK, and maestro Gianni Tangucci. Singers in the preliminary rounds were accompanied by the official pianists of the X CICAK, maestros Ricardo Francia (Madrid) and Beatrice Bartoli (Florence).

The 27 singers chosen will join the successful candidates from the preliminary round in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, to be held on 18, 19 and 20 September, and those eligible for direct entry into the semi-final round after finishing as finalists or winners in other prestigious singing competitions. In both cases, a total of 46 applications have been received so far. The applications closing date for the X CICAK has been extended to Monday 30 June.

The final stage of the X CICAK will take place in Gran Canaria, at the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, in the island’s capital city, where the tribunal in the preliminary rounds will be replaced by an international jury that will judge the semi-final round (21, 22 and 23 September) and the final (Saturday 27 September). The jury of the X CICAK will be chaired by Gran Canarian soprano Yolanda Auyanet.

After the preliminary rounds in Madrid and Florence, the first stage of the X CICAK has been completed, with the collaboration of two very important theatres in the artistic career of Alfredo Kraus. In 1956, he first performed at Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela, where he took part in 32 productions over 40 years. In 1962 he had his first performance at Florence’s Teatro del Maggio Musicale, and participated in 20 operas and four singing recitals at the theatre until 1996. Through these collaborations, the enduring artistic imprint of Alfredo Kraus adds to the impact of the X CICAK across Europe and in the media.