Piano Competition

Cremona International Competition for Piano, 2023

July 21 and 23, 2023

Piano Competition 2018

I. ELIGIBILITY

The Competition is open to pianists participating in the 2023 Cremona International Music Academy. While students of the Academy are eligible and welcome to enter, participation in the Competition is not mandatory.

In order to participate in the Cremona International Competition for Piano, participants must include the following material in their application:

Completed Application Form
Document showing proof of age
Recent photograph
A digital video recording for Preliminary Round:  Two contrasting works of own choice
Non-refundable application fee of $100
Application material must be received no later than May 1, 2023.

Participants are required to upload and submit links to their recordings (e.g., YouTube or Dropbox), CD/DVD recordings will not be accepted.

Piano Competition Application Form

II. RULES

The participants will be assigned by age into four age categories (age as of July 11, 2023):

Debut Category – 10 years old and under
Junior Category – 11 to 13 years old
Intermediate Category – 14 to 18 years old
Senior Category – 19 years old and above

DEBUT CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of two works of own choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length). Selected participants will advance to the Final Round in Cremona.
Final Round, Cremona: Mini-recital (not to exceed 15 minutes in length)

JUNIOR CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of two works of own choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length). Selected participants will advance to the Final Round in Cremona.
Final Round, Cremona: Mini-recital (not to exceed 20 minutes in length)

INTERMEDIATE CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of the contrasting works (not exceeding 20 minutes in length). Selected participants will advance to Rounds One and Two in Cremona.
Round One, Cremona: Short recital (not to exceed 15 minutes in length)
Round Two, Cremona: Second Recital (not to exceed 25 minutes in length)

SENIOR CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic Recording of the contrasting works (not exceeding 20 minutes in length). Selected participants will advance to Rounds One and Two in Cremona
Round One, Cremona: Solo Recital (not exceeding 20 minutes in length)
Round Two, Cremona: Second Recital (not exceeding 30 minutes in length)

COMPETITION DETAILS

  • The proposed repertoire for all rounds must be approved by the Competition committee.
  • Participants in the Intermediate and Senior categories are expected to perform in both Rounds, Rounds One and Two, once they have advanced from the Preliminary Round.
  • Works from Round One may not be repeated in Round Two.
  • All works must be performed from memory.
  • Participants who have won first prize in previous competitions may NOT compete again in the same age group.
  • All rounds of the Competition will be adjudicated by a jury panel.
  • The jury has the right to award shared prizes.
  • The decision of the jury is final and will not be reviewed.
  • All rounds of the Competition, except for the Preliminary Round, are open to the public.

III. REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

DEBUT CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of two contrasting works or part of the works of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length).
Final Round, Cremona: Mini-recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length).

JUNIOR CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of two contrasting works of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length).
Final Round, Cremona: Mini-recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length) consisting of contrasting works and including:

A polyphonic work by J.S. Bach (e.g., Small Preludes and Fugues, Inventions, Preludes and Fugues from WTC).

  1. One etude of the participant’s choice. Please note: the etude may not be replaced by a virtuoso piece.
  2. A work by an Italian composer (e.g., a Sonatina by Clementi).
  3. A work or group of works of the participant’s choice.
  • Sonatas may be performed with or without repeats, at the participant’s discretion.
  • Concertos may NOT be included in the program.

INTERMEDIATE CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of contrasting works of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length).
Round One, Cremona: First recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length) consisting of:

  1. Work by J.S. Bach with two contrasting movements OR a Prelude and Fugue from WTC by J. S. Bach
  2. One virtuoso etude of the participant’s choice. Please note: the etude may not be replaced by a virtuoso piece

Round Two, Cremona: Second Recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 25 minutes in length) consisting of:

  1. A work by an Italian composer (e.g., a Sonata by Scarlatti).
  2. One movement from a Classical Sonata (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven).
  3. A work or a group of works of the participant’s choice, including a virtuoso piece, and a work composed after 1950, preferably from the participant’s country.
  • Sonatas may be performed with or without repeats, at the participant’s discretion.
  • Concertos may NOT be included in the program.

SENIOR CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of contrasting works of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length).
Round One, Cremona: First recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length) consisting of:

  1. A Prelude and Fugue from WTC by J. S. Bach.
  2. One virtuoso etude of the participant’s choice. Please note: the etude may not be replaced by a virtuoso piece.
  3. A work by an Italian composer
  4. A work by Debussy or Ravel.

Round Two, Cremona: Second recital program of the participant’s choice, not to exceed 30 minutes in length, consisting of:

  1. Two contrasting movements from a Classical, Romantic, or 20th Century Sonata.
  2. A work or group of works of the participant’s choice, including a virtuoso piece and a work written after 1950, preferably from the participant’s country.
  • Sonatas may be performed with or without repeats, at the participant’s discretion.
  • Concertos may NOT be included in the program.

IV. JURY

The competition jury consists of renowned international artists and pedagogues.

V. PRIZES

1st Prize Winners:

  • Solo Performance at the Winners Concert in Cremona during the 2023 Academy Season.
  • Solo performance with Cremona Festival Orchestra in Cremona in the 2024 Academy Season.
  • 30% Tuition Scholarship for participation in the 2024 Cremona International Music Academy.

2nd Prize Winners:

  • Solo Performance at the Winners Concert in Cremona during the 2023 Academy Season.
  • 20% Tuition Scholarship for participation in the 2024 Cremona International Music Academy.

3rd Prize Winners:

  • Solo performance at the Winners Concert in Cremona during 2023 Academy Season.
  • 15% Tuition Scholarship for participation in 2024 Cremona International Music Academy.

 

2023 Competition Application Form
Make a Payment

WINNERS OF THE 2022 CREMONA COMPETITION FOR PIANO

Piano Debut Category

1st Prize: Alexander Zhou
2nd Prize: Jun Tomizawa
3rd Prize: Viara Stolarov

Honorable Mention: Anne Wang and Julian Tushman

Piano Junior Category

1st Prize: Kaitlyn Loo
2nd Prize: Audrey Tushman

Piano Intermediate Category

1st and 2nd Prize (shared): Mariia Kompan and Henry Tushman
3rd Prize: Nathan Parque

Honorable Mention: Alexander Lucudine, Rosalia Malik, and Tienchee Liu

Piano Senior Category

1st Prize: Yu (Rochelle) Yuan

Honorable Mention: Beth Emmers and Joseph Fernando