Rules

General Information

The 3rd NextGen International Piano Competition consists of two rounds: a preliminary round and a final round. Participants submit their video recordings online by the end of the year, and eight finalists in each age category are announced by mid-February of 2023. Prizewinners are declared by the end of April. The NextGen International Piano Competition is held entirely online.

The rules of the competition are outlined on this page. Please contact us here or email info@nextgencompetition.org with any questions you may have, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. The rules of the 3rd NextGen International Piano Competition are subject to change, and the NGIPC reserves the right to alter and interpret the rules at their discretion.

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Important Dates

The application deadline is December 31st, 2022 at 11:59 Pacific Standard Time (PST).

Finalists are announced by February 11th, 2023.

Finalists send in their biography and photo by February 18th, 2023.

The deadline for finalists to submit their performances is April 1st at 11:59 PST.

Finalists’ performances are livestreamed on YouTube from April 15th to April 16th.

Winners are declared on April 22nd, 2023.

Age Groups

Repertoire

Preliminary round:

• A movement from a Sonata written by one of the following composers: Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, or Ludwig van Beethoven.
• An etude written by one of the following composers: Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, or György Ligeti.
• Total performance time is limited to 15 minutes.
• Recordings must be submitted via YouTube.
• Recordings must be recorded less than two years prior to submitting the application.

Final round:

• Open repertoire chosen by the contestant, and may include performances submitted in the preliminary round.
• Original compositions are not permitted.
• All repertoire must be for solo piano (no concertos, duets, etc.).
• Video recordings must be recorded with the same piano and background.
• For the Youth category, total performance time is limited to 30 minutes.
• For the Advanced category, total performance time is limited to 45 minutes.
• Recordings must be submitted as one or more video files.

If you have any questions regarding acceptable repertoire, do not hesitate to contact info@nextgencompetition.org or reach us here.

Application Process

Competition applications are found under the Apply section of the website. Here’s a quick outline for participants to follow in order to successfully compete in the NGIPC:

• Submit the preliminary application.
  • The application must include: the contestant’s video recordings, required information, and application fee.
• Make sure that video submissions fulfill the following requirements:
  • Participants must submit their performances as individual recordings on YouTube.
  • The recordings must be published as “Unlisted” or “Public”.
  • The recordings must be taken from one angle and show both the hands and face of the participant.
  • The recordings must not include any digital effects, breaks, or editing within the performance.
  • The recordings must be made within the last two years prior to submitting the application.
• After submitting, applicants will be sent an email confirming their participation.
  • If you don’t receive a confirmation email within a couple days of submitting your application, let us know as soon as possible by emailing info@nextgencompetition.org or contacting us here.
• Finalists will be emailed with further instructions.

The jury and competition administration reserve the right to disqualify contestants for any reason, including falsifying their recordings or misrepresenting information on their application. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Students of a jury member will be excluded from that juror’s review. The NGIPC reserves the rights to use the video recordings submitted for marketing purposes and publication on our website; no extra fee will be paid to the contestants in this respect. The NGIPC reserves the right to cancel, reschedule, or otherwise modify the timing of the competition. Former 1st Place winners of an age category may not compete in the same age category in future competitions.

To adjudicate the competition, each jury member assigns contestants a number from 1-100, designating the favorability of their performances. The criteria for judging is based on a holistic assessment of participants’ recordings, taking into consideration aspects such as musicality, mastery of pieces’ technical requirements, artistry, and so on. Each jury member’s ranking of a contestant is averaged with the other members of the jury, resulting in a final number. NextGen may refrain from designating specific awards if it is deemed that a given submission does not warrant a prize. The highest number designates the winner of the competition, while the second highest number designates second place, etc. Honorable mentions may also be designated, without monetary award.

All participants receive judges’ written comments, both for the preliminary and final rounds. Preliminary round comments will be sent via email after the finalists are announced. Final round comments will be distributed once the winners of the competition are announced.

Application Fee

Division I applicants pay a $70 USD application fee and Division II applicants pay a $120 USD application fee, both of which are securely conducted through Stripe within the application form.

Note: if Stripe is not enabled for your country, please email info@nextgencompetition.org to let us know.

Prizes

Cash prizes for winning contestants are listed on our website at the Prizes page. Winners will be contacted via email and asked to provide a photo and biography to be used on our website, nextgencompetition.org. Winners will also be asked to provide proof of identity.