Almost 200 Applications From More Than 35 Nationalities
The new edition of the Santa Cecília International Piano Competition has received almost 200 applications from young pianists representing more than 35 nationalities, confirming the growing international projection of the competition, particularly since the introduction of a chamber music semifinal round.
Among the applicants are pianists from many regions of the world, with a strong representation from Asia — particularly China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan —, as well as from Europe, North and South America, and the Middle East. The pool of candidates also includes several Portuguese pianists, reflecting the vitality of the new generation of national performers.
This geographical diversity — which includes countries such as Spain, France, Italy, the United States, Brazil, Israel, Ukraine and Palestine, among others — reflects the dynamism of today’s young pianists and reminds us that, even in a world marked by strong global tensions, music continues to affirm itself as a universal language capable of bringing together different cultures and geographies.
In the coming weeks, the pre-selection stage will take place, during which the jury — chaired by the Festival’s director, Álvaro Teixeira Lopes, and joined by Olivier Moulin and Paulo Oliveira — will evaluate the submitted video recordings. From this stage, 40 pianists will be selected and invited to travel to Porto to take part in the next rounds of the competition.
The list of selected candidates will be announced no later than 4th May.
Created with the aim of supporting and giving visibility to young pianists from around the world, the Santa Cecília International Piano Competition continues to establish itself as a meeting point around the piano and plays the future of classical music.
The selected pianists will perform on a Kawai concert piano, a new feature of this edition, as the company joins the competition as the official piano brand and sponsor.