​​COMPETITION FORMAT

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• Preliminary Round - Online by video recordings. Application and video submission deadline - January 18, 2026, 11:59 PM (PST). The selected finalists will be announced on or before January 25, 2026. 

• Final Round Auditions - February 27-28, 2026, 10 AM. Live auditions at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Detailed schedule TBA. Competitors will perform on a brand new Steinway & Sons grand piano.

• Awards Ceremony and Winners' Recital - March 1, 2026, 7 PM. St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. ​​​

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AGE CATEGORIES

• Category A - 6-8* years old

• Category B - 9-10* years old

• Category C - 11-12* years old

• Category D - 13-14* years old

• Category E - 15-18* years old

       *As of January 18, 2026​

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RULES AND REGULATIONS​

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• Each contestant has to submit complete ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

• Incomplete applications will not be considered.

• Application Deadline - January 18, 2026, 11:59 PM (PST).

• There is no Application Fee for the Preliminary Round.

• A Finalist Fee of $150 must be submitted by the selected finalists upon receiving confirmation of advancement to the Final Round.

• The competition does not provide practice facilities or accommodation for any contestant.

• Awards and certificates will be distributed in person only. No postal or online deliveries of prizes or certificates will be arranged.

• All decisions of the adjudicators are final.

• The Jury reserves the right to:

  • Withhold any of the prizes.

  • Share a prize between several contestants.

  • Stop any performance that exceeds the posted time limits or does not meet professional standards.

  • Disqualify any candidate who does not comply with any of the competition’s regulations, norms of social behavior, or State of California and Federal laws.

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REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS AND TIME LIMITS

 

• Age Categories A, B, C​:

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• Preliminary Round:

- Free choice of repertoire with minimum of two (2) solo compositions of contrasting styles selected from traditional piano repertoire.

• Final Round:

- Free choice of repertoire with minimum of two (2) solo compositions of contrasting styles selected from traditional piano repertoire.

 

• Age Categories D and E:

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• Preliminary Round:

- One virtuosic Etude by one of the following composers: Czerny (Op. 299 and 740 only), Moszkowski, Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Ligeti. 

- Free choice of repertoire with minimum of two (2) solo compositions of contrasting styles selected from traditional piano repertoire. 

• Final Round:

- One virtuosic Etude by one of the following composers: Czerny (Op. 299 and 740 only), Moszkowski, Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Ligeti. 

- Free choice of repertoire with minimum of two (2) solo compositions of contrasting styles selected from traditional piano repertoire.

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• Participants are allowed to use the same or different repertoire for both rounds.

• No repertoire changes are allowed once the application is submitted.

• All compositions must be performed by memory during both Rounds.

• No ensembles, two-piano works, or piano concertos are allowed.

• No simplified or shortened versions of any compositions are allowed.

• Participant do not have to provide sheet music for the Jury.

• Repeats are not required for larger sections (expositions of the sonatas and similar)

• The posted maximum time limit should be taken into consideration by the applicants when selecting the repertoire.

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Category A: 10 minutes maximum​

Category B: 15 minutes maximum

Category C: 20 minutes maximum

Category D: 25 minutes maximum

Category E: 30 minutes maximum​

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• Please note that there's no minimum time limit.

• The applicants whose live performance exceeds the posted time limit can be stopped by the jury.

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PRELIMINARY ROUND VIDEO RECORDING INSTRUCTIONS

 

Please carefully review each requirement before submitting your video.

• Videos must be recorded horizontally (landscape orientation). If you are using a phone or tablet, hold the device on its side. Vertical recordings will be rejected.

• Audio must be clear and free of environmental noise or other distractions.

• No editing or enhancement of any kind is allowed for either video or audio.

• Record only your performance — do not speak or announce the pieces during the recording.

• The program may be recorded in separate files/takes for each piece, including individual movements of piano sonatas. You may submit up to five links in the Application Form.

• Recordings should fairly represent the contestant’s abilities: the keyboard, both hands, and the performer’s face (profile) must be visible at all times.

• Instrument requirements: grand piano or acoustic upright only. Digital/electronic instruments are not permitted. The piano must be fully functional and properly tuned.

• Contestants must perform the entire program from memory.