Mexican tenor Francisco Araiza will be the president of the jury of the VIII Alfredo Kraus International Singing Contest, which will be held from September 19 to 25, 2021.

Initially, the president of jury was set to be the Italian baritone Leo Nucci, but he informed the organization of he was unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alfredo Kraus was a Spanish tenor and singing teacher of German origin and has been considered one of the best light lyric tenors of the second half of the 20th century, possessing a powerful voice that he preserved until he was 70-years-old.

Araiza maintained a close relationship with Kraus and throughout his 45-year professional career, Araiza performed much of the repertoire that Kraus was renowned for. Araiza was particularly renowned for his Mozartian roles and performed throughout the world’s leading opera houses and festivals.