Founded in 1963 by Jacint Vilardell to commemorate the Catalan tenor Francisco Viñas, the competition has become one of the major contests in the opera, oratorio and Lied world, in which young singers from all over the world take part every year.
To provide an opportunity for singers from other countries to take part, the Gran Teatre del Liceu has an agreement with the opera houses in Madrid, Paris, London, Berlin, Milan, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Beijing and Moscow for preliminary rounds to be staged in these cities.
The Final Audition is held each January in the Gran Teatre del Liceu, as is the final concert with the winners, accompanied by the Gran Teatre del Liceu Symphony Orchestra.
Besides being presented with the official prizes, the winners may receive other awards, such as study grants and contracts for performances at various theatres.
As part of the collaboration between the Liceu and the Teatro Real of Madrid, the main prizewinners of the competition will take part in the “Winner’s Concert of the 58th Tenor Viñas Contest”, to be held on June 6th, 2021, at the Teatro Real in Madrid.o Real de Madrid.