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Cleveland International Piano Competition and Institute for Young Artists

Rules and Regulations

  • The signing of the acceptance form constitutes acceptance by the contestant of all rules and regulations. The original English version of these rules governs all interpretations.
  • The competition will consist of three separate rounds: preliminary (all applicants); first round (all selected contestants); final round (six contestants- three from each age group).

Preliminary Round

  • Candidates aged 11-18 on or after July 16, 2023 are eligible to apply. All application rules found on the electronic application must be followed for consideration.
  • Contestants will be divided into two age groups: 11-14 and 15-18. Contestants will only compete with fellow competitors in their age group. Age groups will be determined by the contestants’ age on July 16, 2023.
  • Between twelve (12) and sixteen (16) contestants will be accepted to participate in each age group. Their names will be announced to the public in January 2023.

First Round

  • First Round Competition performances will be prerecorded due to differences in time zones. During the recording process, contestants are only allowed to play through their performances once.
  • Contestants will not be allowed to edit their First Round performances.
  • Contestants will be allowed 10 minutes to warm-up before recording their First Round performances at the recording locations.
  • Contestants accepted to participate will have to inform Piano Cleveland whether they plan to attend the First Round recording no later than a week after being notified of their acceptance.
  • Candidates must assume financial responsibility for travel and stay for the First Round recording at their selected location.
  • Contestants who do not advance to the final round may be invited to participate in the CIPC for Young Artists Institute, subject to application review by Piano Cleveland.

Final Round

  • The six finalists will receive travel assistance for their trips to Cleveland of up to $1,000 each, showing travel receipts. Travel assistance is available for finalists only.
  • While participating in the finals of the competition, all contestants will be provided with housing, meals, practice facilities, and transportation.
  • One parent/guardian must travel with a finalist from the junior division; housing and meals will be provided for said parent/guardian. Contestants from the senior division must have a parent/guardian sign a waiver allowing them to travel. Parents/Guardians that would like to accompany a senior contestant may stay in Cleveland at a reduced rate; cost for housing and meals are assumed by the parent/guardian.

Performance

  • All works are to be performed from memory and in their entirety, with the following exception: scores are permitted for the chamber music performance.
  • Pieces recorded for the preliminary round may be repeated during the first round performance.
  • Submitted repertoire is subject to review by competition officials.
  • The order of appearance of pianists will be determined by a drawing conducted by competition officials that will be made available for viewing online.

Jury

  • Jury members will not make contact with contestants while such contestant is continuing to compete.
  • Contestants cannot be current students to any members of the jury. It is preferable that contestants have not had a masterclass with a member of the jury within the past year.
  • Any jury member who has taught a contestant within the last five years, or who will teach a contestant in the immediate future, or has a family relationship with a contestant, must abstain from voting on that contestant. Jury members may also waive their vote for personal or professional reasons. All declarations of abstentions will be made the night before the competition begins and will be maintained throughout the competition.
  • All ballots will be written and signed without discussion and submitted to the Jury Chairman. The Jury Chairman will review the ballots and then submit them to competition officials for scoring.
  • Jury members will not discuss their opinions and decisions regarding proceedings, marks, or rankings outside the jury room.
  • In the event of a tie, another vote will be held for the tied competitors.
  • Jury members will vote at the end of the first round and the final round. For the vote following the first round, each of the jurors will submit their top six (6) contestants in order to advance to the next round. The competitors who receive the most votes from the jury will advance to the next round.
  • To select the prizes, the members of the jury will rank the contestants in order of whom they prefer to be awarded each prize. Should none of the competitors attain a majority of votes, then a further ballot will be held to decide between the competitors with the most votes.
  • The decision of the jury is final and not subject to questions, revisions, or appeal.

General

  • The names of the candidates for the first and final rounds will be announced to the public in performance order without regard to rank. After the final round is completed, the names of the finalists will be announced in order of rank.
  • All announced prizes will be awarded.
  • Prizes may be subject to U.S. income tax laws.
  • Piano Cleveland holds the right to broadcast all rounds of the competition, except for the preliminary round.
  • If any unexpected situations arise in the execution of these guidelines, the Jury Chairman, the Chair of the Board of Directors, and the President will resolve such situations.