JUNIOR COMPETITION
for ages 11-14
June 14-20, 2026
YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION
for ages 15-18
June 21-27, 2026
Final Round with Utah Symphony
The Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation is pleased to announce the Preliminary Round performances of the 2026 Gina Bachauer International Junior & Young Artists Piano Competitions.
Every two years, the world’s most promising pianists convene in Salt Lake City for the prestigious Bachauer Competitions to compete for recognition, cash, and prizes. The 2026 edition marks the 50th anniversary of the Bachauer, celebrating five decades of discovering and supporting exceptional young artists.
This year, 316 applications were received from 28 countries. From these, over 150 pianists have been invited to perform a 30-minute recital in the Preliminary Round, hosted in five international cities. All preliminary performances are free and open to the public.
Click below to see schedules and participating competitors for each location.
PRELIMINARY ROUND PERFORMANCES
HAMBURG
November 28–29, 2025
Kirche Jesu Christi der Heiligen der Letzten Tage
Wartenau 20
22089 Hamburg
View Schedule
NEW YORK CITY
December 18–20, 2025
DiMenna Center for Classical Music
450 West 37th St.
New York, NY 10018
View Schedule
SEOUL
January 5–6, 2026
Korean National University of Arts – Seocho-dong Campus
Lee Kang Sook Hall
2374 Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu
Seoul 06757
View Schedule
SHANGHAI
January 8–10, 2026
Shanghai Conservatory of Music
20 Fenyang Rd., Xuhui District
Shanghai 200031
View Schedule
SALT LAKE CITY
January 22–24, 2026
Mid-Valley Center for the Performing Arts
2525 Taylorsville Blvd.
Taylorsville (Salt Lake City), Utah 84129
View Schedule
PRELIMINARY ROUND JURY
In celebration of The Bachauer’s 50th anniversary, the juries for the Preliminary Round feature esteemed laureates of Bachauer competitions. In each city, the Bachauer Artistic Director, Bachauer Executive Director, and two laureates will comprise the jury.
Douglas Humpherys, Bachauer Artistic Director
Kary Billings, Bachauer Executive Director
Stephen Beus
Lukas Geniušas
Kyu-Yeon Kim
Vassily Primakov
Changyong Shin
Lori Sims
J. Y. Song
Hong Xu
Artem Yasynskyy
Zhang Zuo
LOOKING AHEAD TO JUNE 2026
After the Preliminary Round has concluded, 48 competitors will be invited to compete in June 2026 for two weeks of performances in Salt Lake City. They will continue their quest for over $60,000 US in prizes and the opportunity to perform in the Final Round in Abravanel Hall with the Utah Symphony.
INTERNATIONAL JURY
Douglas Humpherys, Chair
Tanya Bannister
Alvin Chow
Daejin Kim
Alexander Korsantia
Carolyn True
Eleanor Wong
Tickets for the June events in Salt Lake City, including the Final Round with the Utah Symphony, are now on sale.
OPEN YOUR DOORS TO PIANO EXCELLENCE
Do you live in Utah? Do you have a spare room, a grand piano, and a passion for cultural exchange? We invite you to host an international piano competitor in your home! Click on the link below for more details.
