12 March 2026
|
For pianists aged 13 to 17, the competition takes place June 10-19, 2027, in Dallas, Texas, USA, with Chinese pianist Sa Chen as jury chair
The Cliburn is pleased to announce a 20-year partnership with Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, covering the next five editions of the Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists (formerly known as the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival). The next edition of the Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists takes place June 10-19, 2027, in Dallas, Texas. The competition will include an in-residence fellowship program on the campus of SMU, consisting of masterclasses, workshops, artist conversations, performance opportunities, and other scheduled activities.
Main image shows the 2023 prize winners with their awards.
In addition, the Cliburn announces renewed partnerships for the next 20 years with the Nasher Sculpture Center and NorthPark Center, as well as KERA and WRR.
Applications are now open
Talented pianists aged 13 to 17 are encouraged to apply by November 17, 2026. The Cliburn will invite 38 artists to participate as Piano Fellows; from this group, 24 pianists will be selected to compete for prizes. All applicants must have been born on or after June 7, 2014, and before June 19, 2010.
Complete details, including application requirements, can be found here.
The competition’s Preliminary and Semifinal Rounds, as well as fellowship program events, will be hosted on the campus of SMU, where participants will also reside throughout their time in Dallas. For the Final Round, six young pianists will perform one concerto movement with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, conducted by Maurice Cohn, music director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and former assistant conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
The Jury
Chinese pianist Sa Chen (2005 Cliburn bronze medallist) will serve as jury chair for the 2027 competition. A prize winner at the International Chopin, Leeds, and Cliburn competitions, Ms. Chen has fostered an international touring career, recorded 11 albums, and served on several high-profile competition juries including the Chopin, Leeds, and Busoni.
The jury:
Kenny Broberg, USA (2017 Cliburn silver medalist)
Lucille Chung, Canada/USA
Alessandro Deljavan, Italy
Marie-Josèphe Jude, France
Alexander Korsantia, Georgia/USA
Alessandro Mazzamuto, Italy
Noriko Ogawa, Japan
Steven Osborne, Scotland
About the Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists
The Cliburn International Competition for Young Pianists was established in 2015 as another means for the Cliburn to use its standing and expertise to encourage tomorrow’s great artists, to provide a valuable forum for them to express themselves, and to give them an entrance to the next step of their journeys. Key ingredients are top international jurors, the media and broadcast, Final Round performances with orchestra, and the fellowship experience, which included performance experience and artistic workshops. The most recent edition (2023) drew 247 applications from 44 countries; live and on demand webcast views topped 2,000,000 with viewers in more than 170 countries.
Click here for full competition rules, repertoire requirements and lists.
An interview with chair of the jury Sa Chen appears inside the April-May issue (No 149) of Pianist magazine – out on 25 March 2026.