Another World Championship has begun at Casa da Música

The Santa Cecília International Piano Competition opened its first round this morning in Sala 2 at Casa da Música, bringing together young pianists from dozens of countries for several days of performances before an international panel of distinguished listeners: Álvaro Teixeira Lopes, President of the Jury and Artistic Director of the Competition, Carles Lama, Chun-Chieh Yen, Dorian Leljak, Paulo Oliveira, Rena Shereshevskaya, Riccardo Risaliti, Vovka Ashkenazy and Yaron Kohlberg.

The First Round runs until Sunday and features 20-minute solo recitals, offering audiences the opportunity to discover the artistic diversity of these young musicians and follow the opening stages of the competition.

Twelve selected pianists will advance to the Second Round, taking place on 22 and 23 June. At this stage, competitors will present a longer solo recital, allowing them to further develop their artistic voice and demonstrate a broader range of interpretative qualities through their chosen repertoire.

All rounds take place in Sala 2 at Casa da Música and can be attended in person or followed live via the official Santa Cecília Piano Competition YouTube channel.

The competitive journey then reaches one of its most distinctive stages with the Chamber Music Semi-Final on 25 June from 14:00 in Sala Suggia, Casa da Música. In this round, the semi-finalists will perform alongside Quarteto de Cordas do Porto, in a challenge that highlights not only pianistic excellence but also listening skills, musical dialogue and artistic collaboration.

The Semi-Final is one of the most anticipated moments of the Festival and precedes the Grand Final with the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música under the direction of Martin André, taking place on 27 June.

Tickets are available here.

Please find the full competition schedule here.