Competitions

Application:
September 15, 2025, until January 26, 2026

Video Submission for the Preliminary Round:

January 26, 2026

Virtual Preliminary Round:
Early March
The jury selects up to eight semifinalists to compete live in Milwaukee
The jury also selects three alternates. Preliminary contestants may be invited to audit the competition and participate in professional development sessions.

Live Semifinal Round of Solo and Duo Recitals:

May 26 through June 1, 2026

Live and Streamed Concerto Final Round followed by Awards Ceremony:

June 2, 2026

The North American Competition is open to pianists who will be age 17 by the first day of the semifinal round but will have not reached age 23 on the final competition date.

Applicants may be of any nationality, must live or attend school full time in North America, and must be able to communicate in English.

Pianists are not permitted to apply if the pianist:

• has studied with a juror within two years of the competition
• has family connections with a juror
• will study with a juror during the next academic year
• has received competition preparation from a juror

Pianists are permitted to apply if acquainted with a juror through past competitions, festivals, master classes, or enrollment in the same school.

First place prize winners in past North American Competitions and PianoArts fellows may not apply.

Applications and video recordings must be submitted through the online application by January 26, 2026, 11:59 pm, Central Time.

• Applicants are required to submit a video recording of a complete concerto from the competition list and two solo works from different periods. The duration of the two solos may not exceed 30 minutes.
• Preliminary round recordings will be evaluated primarily on the concerto’s readiness for a complete performance in the final round with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
• Videos must be filmed within 12 months prior to submission.
• Concertos may be performed with a second pianist performing an orchestral reduction or with an orchestra. The soloist must be clearly heard. (If performing with a second pianist, we recommend that the solo piano is opened with the lid propped with a full stick, and the second piano with a half stick.)
• Recordings must be filmed with one continuous view of the applicant’s hands and feet and may not be edited within movements.
• Applicants may submit either one video containing all works, or separate videos of each work or movement of a work.
• Other required materials include a recommendation by the teacher, proof of age, and two high resolution color photographs.
• Applicants must sign an agreement (connected with the application) and submit a non-refundable application fee of $150.

• Competitors must submit their two semifinal recital programs and biographies by April 1, 2026.
• Semifinalists may not make any changes to their programs after April 1.
• Semifinalists must sign another agreement and submit a non-refundable fee of $250 by April 1, 2026.
• Pianists must arrive in Milwaukee by May 25 to ensure participation in all scheduled events.
• Semi-finalists are responsible for their own travel arrangements and expenses to and from Milwaukee.
• Semifinalists and finalists must not have any professional or other commitments during the time of the competition and must attend all competition events.
• Semifinalists will be offered individual accommodation in private homes with a piano.
• Practice rooms will be available at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
• Competition performance order will be determined by a random drawing.
• Prior to the final round, semifinalists who do not advance to the finals will have one on one conferences with the jury. Finalists will have their conferences with the jury the day following the finals.
• All contestants must remain in Milwaukee until 5:00 pm on June 3, 2026.
• Pianists receiving prizes will be responsible for paying the taxes on the awarded amounts.
Pianists invited to return to Milwaukee as fellows will be scheduled with on-site performing and teaching engagements in Zoutheastern Wisconsin. Expenses will be paid, and each fellow will receive a stipend.

• Round I
  • Preliminary Video Recital (all applicants)
• Round II
  • Semifinal Solo Recital (eight semifinalists)
  • Semifinal Duo Recital (eight semifinalists)
• Round III
  • Final Round with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (three finalists)

The video recording must include:
One complete concerto (selected from the list below).
Two solos totaling no more than 30 minutes selected from contrasting periods (Baroque, classical, romantic, or a work composed after 1950).

Please ensure that all recordings contain the highest quality audio recording. This round is a blind audition.  Click here for PianoArts video recording requirements.

The Concerto

Contestants must choose one concerto from the prescribed list (see below). The same concerto must be performed in the preliminary and final rounds; changes are not permitted.

All competitors will perform their concertos in a public workshop, with conducted MSO chamber ensemble, after the conclusion of the semifinal rounds. The concerto workshop is non-adjudicated.

Two Recitals with a maximum total time of 45 minutes each comprise the semifinal round. Timing includes applause, speaking, and staging. Solos may be entire works or movements.

The Solo Recital must include a North America composition written after 1950. Five minutes of the program should be devoted to playing musical examples and speaking about the music. The works may be performed in any order.

The Duo Recital must include a duo for piano with violin or cello from the listing below. Up to ten minutes must be used to introduce your MSO partner, perform musical examples, and speak about the music. (Pianists must use scores. Page turners will be available.)

The repertory must include a work from each of the following sections, although they may appear in the program of either recital.

Required Repertory:

• One work from the classical period
• One nocturne by Frédéric Chopin
• One work written after 1950 by a North American composer
• One work written by a composer from a traditionally under-represented group (This may be the same piece as the North American work.)

Optional Repertory:
An original work by Johann Sebastian Bach (competitors who perform Bach will be considered for the Bach prize of $1000; transcriptions are permitted but do not qualify for the Bach Prize).

The Duo
Contestants must choose either a violin or cello duo and two alternates from the following list:

• SONATAS WITH VIOLIN (all movements)
• WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Sonata No. 22 in A major, Köchel 305
• WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Sonata No. 32 in B-flat major, Köchel 454
• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Sonata in D major, Opus 12/1
• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 2 in A major, Opus 12, No. 2
• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Opus 23, No. 4
• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 8 in G major, Opus 30, No. 3
• ROBERT SCHUMANN Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Opus 105
• JOHANNES BRAHMS Sonata No. 2 in A major, Opus 100
• OHANNES BRAHMS Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Opus 108

SONATAS WITH CELLO (all movements)

• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 1 in F major, Opus 5, No. 1
• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Opus 5, No. 2
• JOHANNES BRAHMS Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Opus 38
• CLAUDE DEBUSSY Sonate pour violoncelle et piano, L. 137
• EDVARD GRIEG Sonata in A minor, Opus 36
• DIMITRI SHOSTAKOVIH Sonata in D minor, Opus 40

Finalists will perform their complete concerto, selected from the following list, with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Concerto List:

• WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Any work, except Köchel 37, 39, 40, 41
• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Concerto No. 1 in C major, Opus 15
• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat major Opus 19
• LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Opus 37
• FELIX MENDELSSOHN Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Opus 25
• FELIX MENDELSSOHN Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Opus 40
• ROBERT SCHUMANN Concerto in A minor, Opus 54
• CÉSAR FRANCK Symphonic Variations
• EDVARD GRIEG Concerto in A minor, Opus 16
• CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Opus 22
• MAURICE RAVEL Concerto in G major
• SERGE PROKOFIEV Concerto No. 1 in D-flat major, Opus 10
• DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Concerto No. 2 in F major, Opus 102
• FLORENCE PRICE Concerto in D minor in One Movement

PianoArtists compete for over $34,000 in prizes, awards, scholarships, fellowships, and performance opportunities.

Finalist Prizes

• First Place: $20,000
• Second Place: $8,000
• Third Place: $4,000

Finalists and semifinalists may also receive more than one award in the following categories:

• Audience Communication
• Best Performance of a North American Work Written After 1950
• Best Performance of a Duo with a Milwaukee Symphony violinist or cellist
• Best Performance of a Composition by J. S. Bach
• Best Performance of a Nocturne by Frédéric Chopin
• Junior Jury Award
• Gift of Music Award

First prize winners and selected PianoArtists receive fellowships to return to Milwaukee to perform concerts for diverse audiences.  Fellows receive stipends, travel expenses, and professional development trainings.

The preliminary and live round jury will be announced soon!  Previous juries have included prominent pianists and pedagogues, including Sean Chen, Robert McDonald, Joyce Yang, Peter Takacs, and Ursula Oppens.

During the Festival, that runs concurrently with the competition, competitors have sessions with the conductor, an MSO chamber ensemble presenting a concerto seminar, and career specialists.   Semifinalists and finalists may also be invited to return to Milwaukee as PianoArts fellows in future seasons as an extension of the festival’s professional development opportunities.

Fellowships are awarded to PianoArtists to return to Milwaukee to step into the professional world. Fellows receive stipends with all expenses paid. Through rehearsals and performances with Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra musicians and professionals from theater, dance, and opera, fellows develop programs that highlight interdisciplinary collaboration. Participating in on-the-job classes and on-site presentations during the Artist Training Program, they hone new skills in performing for diverse audiences.

Fellows returning for a third academic year have opportunities to create and develop their own new programs. One very successful elementary school program, Music Explorers, a comprehensive music education program that has reached thousands of Wisconsin youth, was created by PianoArts alumni Jacob Ertl. Another program, WaterWorks, integrated music, freshwater science, and visual art, culminating in a spectacular concert at Discovery World Museum of Science and Industry featuring a PianoArtist, percussionists, vocalists, cellists, and a soundscape from the natural world.

During the Artist Training program, fellows:

• Rehearse and perform with professional musicians, actors, dancers, and vocalists
• Perform in concert halls, schools, community centers, and other eclectic spaces
• Refine skills and refine techniques for speaking to audiences, performing on radio and television, and giving interviews
• Coach with chamber music ensembles and stage directors
• Create, plan, and develop original educational programs