Entries open for the 2021 Hastings International Piano Competition

With a first prize of £15,000, the competition provides six finalists the opportunity to perform a complete piano concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Competition entries are now made by video audition only, via the competition website.

For 2021, the competition welcomes Professor Vanessa Latarche, head of keyboard at The Royal College of Music as jury president.

She will oversee the audition process as well as preside over the international jury.

Also new for 2021, the competition is offering all 12 semi-finalists the opportunity to perform a concerto with a chamber orchestra, with the orchestra itself being announced in June.

Professor Latarche said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition as president for the next season. The competition has an international reach and is well known for its friendly atmosphere and warm audiences.

“I look forward to being part of such a distinguished organisation and to be working with Ian Roberts and his team to develop some exciting new ideas for the competition.”

Managing director of Hastings International Piano Ian Roberts added: “We are delighted that Vanessa, one of the UK’s most respected pedagogues, is joining us at Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition as our new president of the jury.

“It is exciting that as our competition continues to grow in stature and produce exceptional prizewinners, Vanessa will curate a competition with notable changes that will create even more artist performance experiences in Hastings in 2021”.

The Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition has evolved from its earliest days as part of Hastings Music Festival to become an internationally-renowned competition for young concert pianists from around the world, attracting 170 applicants in 2019 from numerous rounds of global auditions, 40 of which were invited to compete in Hastings.

To support the growth of audiences and educational outreach opportunities, Hastings International Piano produced the inaugural Hastings International Piano Festival, which took place over two weeks in February and March 2020.

Visit the website to find out more about the competition or to find out how to enter next year’s event: https://www.hastingsinternationalpiano.org/2021-competition/

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