Artcial Music Foundation

2026 San Francisco International

Piano Competition

(In Co-operation with the
5th Bay Piano Fest)

Applications of SFIPC 2026 will open in December!

2025 SFIPC Winner’s performances, click here.

2026 SFIPC & Bay PianoFest
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, CA, USA

Applications for the 2026 Bay PianoFest is currently open
Applications for the 2026 San Francisco International Piano Competition will open soon

The 2026 San Francisco International Piano Competition welcomes the participation of piano students and professional pianists of different ages from all over the world!

We're delighted to announce the upcoming 6th Bay PianoFest and the 5th San Francisco International Piano Competition, scheduled from August 3 to 13, 2026, in San Francisco, USA. In 2026, our esteemed jury and faculty will feature renowned musicians, offering an unparalleled opportunity to engage with them.

We're thrilled to host our competition and festival at the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Additionally, we've raised our cash prize to over $10,000.

In the past five years, our winners have also garnered accolades at prestigious competitions such as Cleveland, Chopin, Cliburn, Leeds, and Busoni International Competitions. Our competition provides aspiring musicians with an exceptional and affordable platform to learn from world-class artists and thrive in an inspiring atmosphere. We eagerly anticipate discovering many talented artists at the 2025 San Francisco International Piano Competition and Bay PianoFest and extend our invitation to you to apply! 2025 SFIPC Live Final Round Performances, click here.

5th Annual - 2026 San Francisco International Piano Competition

The 2026 SFIPC welcomes talented pianists of all ages from around the world. Held at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the competition is recognized for its high artistic standards and its dedication to elevating exceptional young musicians on the international stage.

Renowned as a platform for artistic discovery, SFIPC offers participants the opportunity to share their artistry with a global audience, receive feedback from distinguished jurors, and build meaningful connections within the music community. Winners will receive over $10,000 in cash prizes, scholarships to the 2027 Bay PianoFest, and a recital tour in San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2027.

The 2026 edition will feature Artists (Age 18-35), Young Artists (Age 12-17), and Rising Talented (Age 4-18) categories from May to August. The preliminary round will be conducted through submitted performance videos, and finalists will be selected to perform live before the jury at Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall on August 6–7, 2026.

Applications will open in December, and all materials must be submitted by May 1, 2026.

A man at a podium speaking to an audience during the San Francisco International Piano Competition, with several people seated on stage and a grand piano behind them.

Rising Talented (Age 4-18)

Participants in the Rising Talent Division are assigned to categories according to their age, from Rising Star I (Age 5 & under) through Adult (Age 19+).

Preliminary Round (Video Recording/Live) 

  • Free Choice of Repertoire-category time limit

Final Round (Live Performance in San Francisco)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire-category time limit

Category：

  • Rising Star I (Age 5 & under) — Max. 45mins

  • Rising Star II (Age 6–7) — Max. 5 mins

  • Youth I (Age 8–9) — Max. 6 mins

  • Youth II (Age 10–11) — Max. 7 mins

  • Junior I (Age 12–13) — Max. 8 mins

  • Junior II (Age 14–15) — Max. 8 mins

  • Senior (Age 16–18) — Max. 10 mins

  • Adult (Age 19+) — Max. 10 mins

Rising Talented Information
Application will open in December

NEW Young Artists (Age 12-17)

Applicants for this competition category must be at least 12 years old and no older than 17. Age is determined by your age on August 7th, 2026.

Preliminary Round

(Video Recording of 15-20 minutes) 

  • One Virtuosic Etude

  • One Movement of a Classical Sonata (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire 

Final Round

(Live Performance of 25-30 minutes in San Francisco)

  • One movement of a classical sonata (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire

Young Artists Information
Application will open in December

Artists (Age 18-35)

Applicants for this competition category must be at least 18 years old and no older than 35. Age is determined by your age on August 7th, 2026

Preliminary Round

(Video Recording of 20-25 minutes) 

  • One Virtuosic Etude

  • One Movement of a Classical Sonata (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire 

Final Round

(Live Performance of 35-40 minutes in San Francisco)

  • One movement of a classical sonata (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire

Artists Information
Application will open in December

Welcome to the Bay PianoFest 2026!

Over the past five years, Bay PianoFest has grown into a vibrant hub of musical excellence and creativity. In 2026, we are excited to continue this journey with an inspiring lineup of performances, masterclasses, lessons and forum events, including the prestigious San Francisco International Piano Competition. Our festival remains dedicated to providing enriching experiences for pianists of all levels.

Join us as we celebrate another year of artistry and connection within our musical community. Applications for 2026 are now open! Visit our festival page for more details and to apply.

— Bay PianoFest Committee

2026 Bay Piano Fest Info
2026 Bay PianoFest Program Booklet
  • Multiple scenes from the San Francisco International Piano Competition award ceremony. Top row, group of children receiving awards and certificates on stage, with a grand piano and banners in the background. Middle row, individual and group photos of young contestants with medals and certificates; awards table with trophies. Bottom row, presenter handing award to a young contestant, trophies on display, and an audience panel with speakers at a podium.

  • Five people seated on chairs on a stage with a grand piano behind them, audience in front, concert hall setting.

  • Man playing grand piano during a performance in front of an audience in a large room with floor-to-ceiling windows and city skyline in the background.

  • Group of people seated at a table with many awards and medals in front of them, attending an awards ceremony or conference.

  • An elderly man in a brown pinstripe suit walking by empty chairs, with a group of children and young adults in the background standing near a grand piano, in a spacious, modern room with large windows.

  • Group of people sitting in chairs, smiling and enjoying an event inside a modern building with large glass windows.

  • Audience attending a piano performance in a modern concert hall with large windows and panoramic city views.

  • A woman and a young girl are sitting at a grand piano in a concert hall, engaged in a music lesson or rehearsal.

  • A woman seated at a black Steinway & Sons grand piano, engaged in playing or preparing to play, with a man appearing to give feedback or instruction. Behind them, a banner reads 'Bay PianoFest' and shows the dates August 4-8, 2024, in an indoor venue with large windows.