El Concurso quedó inaugurado oficialmente el 14 de enero con el acto de costumbre en el Saló de Cent.El pregón del catedrático de latín de la Universidad de Barcelona, Josep L.Vidal, versó sobre la figura de la hasta ahora animadora fundamental del certamen, la nieta del tenor Viñas, Maria Vilardell, a su vez notable pianista y figura omnipresente pese a su desaparición física y tuvo como título La música, la amistad, la tenacidad.

The opening of the new season at Covent Garden has been an unusually quiet affair this year.Whilst never indulging in the black-tie galas or nationalistic fanfares of La Scala and the Met, the autumn period typically offers visitors a sprinkling of new productions as well as some fine revivals and the odd concert-performance.

As Western European governments keep cutting cultural subsidies, South Korea, where interest in Western classical music has blossomed since the end of World War II, seems to be eager to increase its expenditure in this area.