What We Do
About Piano Cleveland
Piano Cleveland unites people from all walks of life through world-class international competitions, inclusive community programming, and fostering a love of piano. Since founding the Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition in 1974, the organization has remained at the forefront of the classical piano world.
Piano Cleveland is a leading presenter of piano competitions. The flagship competition is the triennial Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC) boasting a Final Round Concerto with The Cleveland Orchestra and a $75,000 first prize package that includes a debut recital at Carnegie Hall. Piano Cleveland also hosts the CIPC for Young Artists to ensure pianists from ages 10-18 are provided with competition and early career experience. Both competitions focus heavily on investing in the futures of our medalists through our Artist Development Program.
In non-competition years, Piano Cleveland hosts Piano Days, a community-wide festival celebrating piano in all its forms. Past CIPC medalists and world-renowned musicians are invited to perform at venues across Cleveland. Inclusive programming extends well beyond Piano Days. Every year, Piano Cleveland Live programming takes the piano out of the concert hall and brings it to the Cleveland Art Museum and local bars for free concerts featuring world-class pianists who perform a variety of repertoire.
As a Cleveland-based nonprofit organization, Piano Cleveland is committed to fostering the love of piano amongst all audiences and skill levels. Through its partnership with Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Piano Cleveland has established two PianoLabs and presented educational programs at more than ten locations. Students of all ages benefit from Piano Cleveland’s piano donation program, which places good condition pianos into the places where they are needed most.
Our Mission
Building a better world through the transformative power of piano.
Our Vision
To be the global leader in advancing the piano’s power to transform lives and unite people through world-class international competitions, innovative artist development, and inclusive local engagement.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Piano Cleveland seeks to provide musical encounters where individuals from all backgrounds and identities are welcomed and respected.
We promote the full range of piano music by exploring traditional classical repertoire, a broad array of genres, and works by underrepresented composers, all of which celebrate the piano’s versatility. As an internationally focused organization, we include individuals from varied backgrounds on our juries, as contestants, and as featured artists.
We strive to present programming that is financially, geographically, and musically accessible. And, we seek to engage the community by inviting people from all backgrounds and experiences into our organization in order to shape its future.
Competitions
The Cleveland International Piano Competition: Our Signature Event
Known as one of the top competitions in the world, the Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC) presents the pinnacle of classical piano artistry across two weeks of performances for Cleveland and international audiences. The best emerging pianists from around the globe are selected to compete for a chance to play with The Cleveland Orchestra, an experience unparalleled by any other international competition, and win the $75,000 First Prize.
Building the Future of Piano
Programs like the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists ensure that pianists from ages 10-18 are provided with competition and early career experience.
Concerts & Festivals
We feature extraordinary international artists and our CIPC medalists in performance for Cleveland audiences. Our programming pushes the boundaries of piano performance. We honor traditional recital forms and present piano in new and unique environments, innovating the concert experience for our artists and audiences.
Piano Cleveland Live
We feature extraordinary international artists and our CIPC medalists in performance for Cleveland audiences. Our programming pushes the boundaries of piano performance. We honor traditional recital forms and present piano in new and unique environments, innovating the concert experience for our artists and audiences.
Community
Education Programs
We advance the future of piano music through year-round educational programming for local students.
Education Programs
Interactive music educational programs presented at 10+ schools and affiliated entities of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).
PianoLab
Group keyboard instruction that brings hands-on piano learning into CMSD schools, making music education accessible and engaging for students.
Piano Donation Programs
We help place pianos in spaces that need them, like community centers, schools, and students’ homes.