The winners of the 63rd International Singing Competition Tenor Viñas were announced on 16 January 2026 following the Final Round at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. The Ukrainian bass-baritone Vladyslav Buialskyi received the First Grand Prize, while the Spanish soprano Elionor Martínez emerged as one of the most awarded singers of the edition, winning the Oratorio–Lied Prize alongside several special and extraordinary awards.
The Final Round brought together 16 finalists, selected from 712 participants representing 64 countries, underscoring the competition’s global reach and its continued role as a major platform for emerging operatic talent.
Vladyslav Buialskyi was awarded the First Grand Prize, which includes a €30,000 cash award and a contract for upcoming seasons at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. The Second Prize went to Ukrainian soprano Yuliia Zasimova, while the Third Prize was awarded to Ukrainian baritone Vlad Tlushch. South Korean baritone Felix Park received the Fourth Prize, Costa Rican mezzo-soprano Karla Pineda the Fifth Prize, and Spanish soprano Elionor Martínez the Sixth Prize.
Martínez also won the Oratorio–Lied Prize, endowed with €10,000, which this year was formally established as a separate and distinct discipline within the competition. The award includes recital engagements in collaboration with the Fundación Victoria de los Ángeles and the Schubertíada, marking a significant institutional recognition of repertoire beyond opera.
Among the extraordinary awards, the Joyce DiDonato Extraordinary Prize, presented by the Houston Grand Opera, was awarded to Karla Pineda, recognising her artistic potential. The Audience Prize went to Karla Pineda (female voice) and Felix Park (male voice). In total, 28 extraordinary prizes were granted, including professional contracts, scholarships, and training opportunities with European theatres, festivals, and institutions.
Several special prizes highlighted stylistic excellence: Elionor Martínez received the award for best Mozart interpretation, Felix Park was recognised for Verdi, and Vlad Tlushch received the zarzuela prize, which includes a contract with the Teatro de la Zarzuela.
Founded in 1963 in memory of the Catalan tenor Francisco Viñas, the Tenor Viñas Competition has become one of the most important international contests for opera, oratorio, and Lied. Preliminary rounds are held in major opera centres across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, while the Final Round and Winners’ Concert traditionally take place each January in Barcelona. In addition to official prizes, laureates frequently receive contracts and invitations that play a decisive role in launching international careers.
The 63rd edition concluded on Sunday, 18 January, with the traditional Winners’ Concert at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, featuring the prizewinners accompanied by the Orquesta Sinfónica del Gran Teatre del Liceu under the direction of Julio García Vico.
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