Shanghai
Competition

10–12 August 2027

The Application Deadline is
25^th of April 2027

About the Competition

The Shanghai Classic Piano Competition is one of the six contests being organised as part of the preselection process for the 2028 Classic Piano International Competition.

Taking place from the 10^th to the 12^th of August 2027, this will be the fourth stop in the series, with contestants going head-to-head in front of a handpicked 7-person jury board gathered together from all around the world for this occasion.

Pianists will be competing over two rounds, challenging each other for a €35,000 prize fund, as well as the chance to win entry to the invite-only Classic Piano competition, which will be held in Barcelona, from the 10^th to the 20^th of September 2028, with all expenses paid. Hosted at the Palau de la Música Catalana, this Grand Finale will feature €330,000 worth of monetary prizes, as well as various other awards and opportunities for all finalists there.

Programme of
the competition

Total prize fund:
€35,000

First Prize

€20,000

Second Prize

€10,000

Third Prize

€5,000

In addition to their monetary awards,
the two top-ranked participants shall also win eligibility
to participate in the invite-only
Classic Piano International Competition,
which will be held at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, from the 10^th to the 20^th of September 2028,
with all expenses paid.

Repertoire

for Preliminary Competition

First Round

(max. 25 minutes)

One virtuoso etude by either Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Sergey Rachmaninoff, Sergey Prokofiev, Alexander Scriabin, Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, or György Ligeti.
One work (no transcriptions, no etudes) by either Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Nikolai Medtner, Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky, Bela Bartok, Sergey Rachmaninoff or Sergey Prokofiev.
One composition of the candidates’ choice.

Second Round

(min. 40 minutes — max. 45 minutes)

Piano Sonata No. 2 by Alexey Shor (download scores here).
One complete piano sonata by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, or Ludwig van Beethoven.
One composition of the candidates’ choice.

* Compositions performed in the 1^st Round cannot be played in the 2^nd Round.
* All pieces except for A. Shor – Piano Sonata №2, must be performed from memory.
* Programmes cannot be changed after the closing date of applications.

Video Auditions

to participate in the Preliminary Contests of
the Classic Piano International Competition

Requirements

The recording can be made with a phone, camera, or any other equipment available to you.
The description/title of your video must include your name, the name of the composer, and the title of the piece you are performing.
Your hands, face, and the whole silhouette must be clearly visible, and the entirety of the instrument must be within the picture frame at all times. We only accept unedited videos.
Submit links to public platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo. Please do not send files for us to download.
The videos can either be submitted as three separate links, or the entire programme may be combined into one link with three separate chapters or bookmarks.
Please make sure your video is not restricted as “private” so we can have free access.
The recording must be no older than six months from the date of registration.
The pieces should be performed from memory.

Video Audition Repertoire

(max. 30 minutes)

One Prelude & Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier (Book I or II)
by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Two piano Etudes by two different composers.
One composition of the candidates’ choice.

* Pieces performed in the video pre-selection may not be presented during the live rounds in Shanghai.

Registration

Please fill in the form below in order to register for the 2027 Shanghai Classic Piano Competition. May we remind you that candidates will not be admitted to the competition unless payment is received. Should you choose to withdraw from the competition, this registration fee will not be reimbursed. Once you have successfully registered for the competition, please make sure to upload your video for the Preliminary Round. The 20 successful candidates will be contacted directly by the organisers at least 8 weeks prior to the beginning of the competition.

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE
IS THE 25^th of April 2027

* Сandidates must have turned 15 prior
to the first day of their chosen preliminary competition in 2027,
and must be no older than 30 on the first day
of the Grand Finale in Barcelona.

Registration Form →

Admission Fee

The admittance fee to enter a pre-selection video round is €50.
Selected candidates will be asked to pay a further €50 participation fee
to take part in the Classic Piano Competition itself.
This entry fee is non-refundable.

Competition Rules →

For Queries or Requests

festivals@cmdievents.com

Shanghai Competition