Piano+ Will Open the Sydney International Piano Competition This Month

Piano+ will open the Sydney International Piano Competition (The Sydney), beginning with an Opening Gala on Wednesday 5th July, followed by 32 competitors competing from 6th to 22nd July.

32 of the finest young pianists from around the globe, selected from 250 applicants, have travelled to Sydney to compete for top honours at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, culminating in the Finals on one of the world’s finest stages, the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, with results announced there on Saturday 22nd July. 

Tickets are on sale for what will be a return to live performances after seven years due to the global pandemic for this major competition.

This year’s competition features some of the finest emerging pianists from across 16 countries, including four Australians.

All sessions of the competition are open to audiences. The competition will consist of three stages – preliminary, semi-final and final – comprising of 28 competitive rounds and a Gala Opening Night concert given by the judges on Wednesday 5th July. 

Concert pianist Piers Lane AO, Artistic Director of Piano+, said “The general level of the 250 applicants for this year’s competition was higher than ever before. The 32 selected to be flown to Sydney in July from four continents and 16 countries represent some of the world’s finest emerging artists. All of them have already won other international prizes and regard The Sydney as one of the handful of ‘master’ competitions in the world. Bringing this previously quadrennial competition back as a live event for the first time since 2016 means Sydney audiences will once again experience in person the thrill of the most internationally significant piano event in Australia. “