calendar
Cleveland International Piano Competition and Institute for Young Artists

Competition Repertoire

Preliminary Round

All applicants must submit audition programs that include at least two pieces of diverse styles, including:

  • First movement of a classical sonata by Beethoven, Haydn, or Mozart.
  • Second selection must be a piece that displays virtuosity.

If time allows, applicants may perform an additional piece of their choosing.

The length of the application videos are as follows:

  • Rising Star Division: 12-15 minutes
  • Junior Division: 12-18 minutes
  • Senior Division: 15-20 minutes

NB: Contestants may choose select pieces from their pre-screening repertoire to perform during the remaining rounds. However, they may not repeat more than one piece from their pre-screening round per in-person program. For example, if they recorded piece X and piece Y, they can play piece X in the First Round and piece Y in the Semi-Final Solo Round, but they cannot play both piece X and piece Y in a single program.

First Round (Virtual)

Contestants will prepare a solo recital program according to the following guidelines:

Rising Star Division: 15-20 minutes

  • Two contrasting pieces.
  • One piece must be a single movement work or a movement from a classical work.
  • Remaining time is candidate’s choice of repertoire, if time allows.

Junior Division: 25-30 minutes

  • Movement from any classical sonata.
  • Romantic work.
  • Remaining time is candidate’s choice of repertoire, if time allows.

Senior Division: 30-35 minutes

  • Full classical sonata by Beethoven, Haydn, or Mozart.
  • Piece by Brahms, Chopin, Schubert, or R. Schumann.
  • Remaining time is candidate’s choice of repertoire, if time allows.

Semi-Final Found (In-Person)

A solo recital program of free repertoire according to the following guidelines:

  • Rising Star: 10-15 minutes
  • Junior Division: 15-20 minutes
  • Senior Division: 25-30 minutes

Rising Star contestants will perform a piano duo with a guest artist assigned by Piano Cleveland. All Rising Star contestants will perform the primo part of the Mozart Piano Sonata for Four Hands in C Major, K.521 with the same guest artist.

Junior and Senior Division contestants will perform a movement, or movements of a Piano Trio (up to 12 minutes) with guest artists assigned by Piano Cleveland. All contestants will perform with the same guest artists. Repertoire will be selected from the list below:

L.V. BEETHOVEN

  • Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 1, No. 1 (1st or 4th movement)
  • Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1, “Ghost” (any movement)
  • Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2 (any movement)
  • Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 96 “Archduke” (any movement)

J. BRAHMS

  • Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8 (1st movement)
  • Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major, Op. 87 (1st movement)

F. MENDELSSOHN

  • Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49 (1st, 2nd, or 4th movement
  • Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 66 (1st, 2nd, or 4th movement)

*All trios should be performed without repeats in the 1st movement.

Final Concerto Round (In-Person)

  • Junior and Senior Division Finalists will perform the first movement of a concerto with the Canton Symphony Orchestra.
  • Repertoire will be chosen from the list below:

J.S. BACH

  • Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 1052
  • Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056

L.V. BEETHOVEN

  • Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15
  • Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19
  • Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37

F. CHOPIN

  • Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11
  • Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21

E. GRIEG

  • Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16

F. MENDELSSOHN

  • Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25

W.A. MOZART

  • Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, K. 271
  • Piano Concerto No. 11 in F Major, K. 413
  • Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414
  • Piano Concerto No. 13 in C Major, K. 415
  • Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453
  • Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466
  • Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
  • Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488
  • Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491
  • Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595

R. SCHUMANN

  • Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54