18th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition 2026
The Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition is an international piano competition specializing in the music championed by Arthur Rubinstein. The competition has been held every three years in Tel Aviv, Israel since 1974. Named after one of the 20th century’s greatest pianists, the Competition is a wonderful tradition going back over 50 years. Jacob Bistritzky, founder of the Competition, recognized the importance of managing Rubinstein’s musical legacy for future generations. And indeed, Rubinstein’s spirit has been the Competition’s inspiration since 1974, when it started, and it is considered one of the leading and most influential piano competitions in the world.
Location: Tel-Aviv, Israel Application Deadline: Aug. 15, 2025
View DetailsTakamatsu International Piano Competition
Yoheved Kaplinsky, Daejin Kim, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron, Antti Siirala Chihiro Kitada, Yuna Shinohara, Ayako Tahara, Kenta Matsumi, Tatsuki Sasanuma, Yoko Hasegawa -Shared Dreams, Shared Emotions- With a legacy stretching back to 2006, the Takamatsu International Piano Competition is an artistic event that provides a forum to bring together top musicians from all over the world. As well as encouraging young people to pursue their dreams and goals of self-development, this international event also aims to foster a new culture of music in Kagawa. The backdrop for the competition is Takamatsu City, the capital of the Seto region.
Location: Takamatsu, Japan Application Deadline: Aug. 20, 2025
View DetailsThe Concours Musical International De Montréal (CMIM) Violin 2026
Minsoo Sohn The Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) is a prestigious competition that showcases the international elite of the new generation of classical musicians. Founded in 2001, the CMIM enjoys an undeniable reputation worldwide. Top- level artists come to Montreal from around the globe to participate. Since its creation, nearly 5,000 young musicians from 90 countries have applied for the elite competition. The CMIM is firmly rooted in the artistic ecosystem of Montreal and proudly embodies the cultural richness, global openness, and human warmth that characterize our city. The CMIM editions have garnered over 1 million views from around the world.
Location: Montreal, Canada Application Deadline: Oct. 31, 2025
View Details2027 International Chamber Music Competition
FS&MM is not a competition like any other. Bringing Schubert’s chamber music into relation with both new and the latest works can be a challenging as well as rewarding experience for all participants and reveals the many facets of a professional & versatile musician. With an attached international composition competition, the expansion of the chamber music repertoire gets actively promoted and the prizewinning piece(s) become(s) part of the individual repertoire of ensembles participating in the FS&MM competition. In addition, each competition edition commissions a new composition that is performed by finalists.
Location: Graz, Austria Application Deadline: Sept. 24, 2026
View DetailsLeeds International Piano Competition (piano)
The Leeds International Piano Competition, held every three years since 1963, is one of the world’s foremost piano competitions. It discovers, launches, and champions exceptional young pianists globally. The competition offers transformative prizes including worldwide management with Askonas Holt, a debut recording with Warner Classics, recitals at prestigious venues like Wigmore Hall and the Southbank in London, European and East Asian tours in association with Steinway & Sons, broadcast opportunities with the BBC, and numerous national and international engagements with orchestras and promoters. The competition has a rich history, with finals traditionally held at Leeds Town Hall (except in 2024 when the finals took place at St George’s Hall, Bradford due to refurbishment). It has launched the careers of pianists such as Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia, Mitsuko Uchida, and András Schiff.
Location: Leeds, UK Application Deadline: Oct. 31, 2026
View DetailsFourth Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition & Festival
The Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival was established in 2015 as another means for the Cliburn to use its standing and expertise to encourage tomorrow’s great artists, to provide a valuable forum for them to express themselves, and to give them an entrance to the next step of their journeys. Key ingredients are top international jurors, the media and webcast, Final Round performances with orchestra, and the festival atmosphere, which included performance experience and artistic workshops. The most recent edition (2023) drew 247 applications from 44 countries; live and on demand webcast views topped 2,000,000 with viewers in more than 170 countries. The fourth edition will take place in Dallas, Texas, in June 2027. Further details regarding application, venues, jury, competition schedule, and festival events will be announced in 2026.
Location: Dallas, USA Application Deadline: Jan. 10, 2027
View DetailsInternational Competition For Young Pianists In Memory Of Vladimir Horowitz
Among the cultural and art measures that promote Ukraine’s integration with the world community the International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz figures prominently.Since 2002, the Competition became a member of the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY) and since 2004 it is the only one Competition in Ukraine that has become a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC), which in its status equals to organizations such as the Olympic Committee, FIFA, UNESCO, WHO. The Competition was founded in 1995 to commemorate a memory of our eminent fellow countryman, legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz, who was born and educated in Kyiv. The Competition was greeted by: His Holiness Pope John Paul II, President of the United States of America Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma and First Lady of Ukraine Liudmyla Kuchma, President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko and First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko, First Lady of Ukraine MarynaPoroshenko, Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine Filaret. 1635 young musicians from 40 countries have taken part in the Competition so far in Horowitz-Debut, Junior, Intermediate and Senior groups. The Competition is shared on three stages and holding during three years: 1st – Horowitz-Debut Group (age limit under 14 years) and Junior Group (age range from 9 to 15 years); 2nd – Intermediate Group (age range from 14 to 19 years); 3rd – Senior Group (age range from 16 to 33 years).
Location: Geneva, Switzerland Application Deadline: Jan. 31, 2027
View DetailsAlice & Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition
Schoenfeld International String Competition was established to pay tribute to the legendary sisters, performers, and educators in the string world - Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld. In collaboration with the Harbin Symphony Orchestra, the Grand Theatre, and the Conservatory of Music in Harbin, The Schoenfeld provides a unique and wide-ranging performance platform for promoting the highly gifted young string musicians of our time.
Location: Harbin, China Application Deadline: March 15, 2027
View Details18th International Tchaikovsky Competition 2027
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia, for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 32 years of age and singers between 19 and 32 years of age. The competition is named after Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The International Tchaikovsky Competition was the first international music competition held in the Soviet Union, beginning in 1958. For the XIV competition in 2011, Valery Gergiev was appointed the competition's chairman, and Richard Rodzinski, former president of the Van Cliburn Foundation, was appointed general director. A new voting system was instituted, created by mathematician John MacBain, and used by the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and the Cleveland International Piano Competition. All rules and regulations also underwent a complete revision. Emphasis was placed on the composition of the jury, which consisted primarily of well-known and respected performing artists. The XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition was held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, from 14 June to 1 July 2011, under the auspices of the Russian federal government and its Ministry of Culture. The competition disciplines were piano, violin, cello, and voice (male singers and female singers). The XV competition took place in June 2015. The XVI competition took place 17–29 June 2019, in Moscow and St. Petersburg; woodwind and brass competition disciplines were added. The XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition was held in Moscow in 2023.
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia Application Deadline: April 16, 2027
View Details2027 International Johann Nepomuk Hummel Piano Competition
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837), a native of Bratislava, was considered one of the greatests composers and pianists during his lifetime. He studied with Mozart, Salieri and Haydn. Among his compositions, he excelled most in the realm of virtuoso piano music. From the stylistic point of view, Hummel unites elements of Late Classicism with many Early Romantic elements. Thus Hummel is an exponent of the style which follows the legacy of Clementi, Mozart and Beethoven, simultaneously adumbrating Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, young Liszt and Schumann. The Johann Nepomuk Hummel International Piano Competition aims at helping the active cultivation of the legacy of this great composer and piano virtuoso. The Competition was established in 1992 and is organised by the Slovak Philharmonic. Simultaneously, the organizers hope to help young remarkable pianists to start a concert career.
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia Application Deadline: July 15, 2027
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