MANHATTAN
INTERNATIONAL PIANO FESTIVAL
Scroll Down
About
Manhattan International Piano Festival & Competition (Manhattan, October 2–4, 2026)
Regional winners from Tbilisi, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Warsaw, and Aachen gather in Manhattan
for three inspiring and intensive days of performance, masterclasses, competition, artist development,
connection, and celebration, including two full festival days at Merkin Hall and final day at Carnegie Hall.
By invitation only, finalists attend a three-day festival that includes:
Opening Night Faculty Gala Concert & Reception
Welcome evening with faculty, families, and guests.
Two Masterclasses for Each Participant
One staged masterclass at Merkin Hall and one studio masterclass.
Piano Forum with the Full Faculty Panel
Grand Prize winners perform, followed by faculty discussion.
Piano Café
Relaxed pre-competition gathering with refreshments and optional short performances.
Performance Lab & Career Roundtable
Division-based sessions for stage confidence, peer connection, artistry, and career development.
Conductor Coaching for Concerto Participants
Coaching on concerto collaboration, orchestral awareness, and conductor communication.
New York Concert Review & Interview Opportunities
Selected winners receive professional review and artist
interview opportunities.
Winners Recital at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall
A final celebration featuring the Winners Concert and Award Ceremony, with invited faculty.
Awards & Opportunities
$10,000 total cash awards
Recital opportunity in the next festival season
Concerto Grand Prize opportunity with orchestra
Audience Jury Awards and additional special prizes
Invited Faculty & Jury
André Laplante, OC - International Tchaikovsky Competition Silver Medalist
Prof. HieYon Choi - Peabody Institute
Prof. Andreas Frölich - Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln
Dr. Inesa Sinkevych - Manhattan School of Music
Prof. Alexander Moutouzkine - Manhattan School of Music
Dr. Deirdre O'Donohue - New York University
Approximate Piano Solo Finalist Numbers
• Rising Artist Division — 6–10 finalists
• Young Artist Division — 6–10 finalists
• Professional Division: 6–10 finalists
→ Approximately 18-30 finalists total.
Approximate Piano Concerto Finalist Numbers
→ Approximately 3-5 finalists total.
Festival Venues
Merkin Hall - Staged Masterclasses & Piano Forum
Engelman Recital Hall - Final Competition Round
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall - Winners Recital
More details will be announced
