Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC) has relaunched its biennial Young Artists Competition, repositioning it as a major event on the international calendar.
Last held in 2012, and following a brief hiatus, the landmark 2015 edition will welcome nearly 30 artists from six continents, selected from as far afield as China and Mexico. Prize funds have been increased to match those of professional peers, with first prize rising from USD750 (€668) to USD25,000 (€22,100) for seniors (16-18 years), and from USD750 to USD10,000 in the junior (12-15) category.
In another first for the competition, semi-finals and finals will be streamed live on the CIPC website.
The extended schedule now involves a 10-day programme covering a four-round structure from 12-21 May. An international jury features South Korea’s Kyung Sook Lee, Croatian Dorian Leljak and US pianist Paul Schenly.
Judges will also lead several free public master classes alongside recitals from past laureates Alexander Schimpf and Vassily Primakov, plus the winner of the 2014 International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, Mariam Batsashvili. The final, on 21 May at Cleveland Museum of Art, will feature the Canton Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gerhardt Zimmermann.
Parent body CIPC is a biennial contest with a first prize of USD50,000 (€44,200). Applications for CIPC 2016, held in August, should be made by 1 December this year.
