The 2020 67th Annual Washington International Competition for Piano has been POSTPONED until Spring 2021. 

The new date of the competition will be announced as soon as it is confirmed. At that time, the Chairs will communicate with all Semifinalists and Alternates to determine their availability for the competition. All previous arrangements remain intact. Housing in private homes will be offered to all semifinalists. These accommodations will include access to an excellent piano. 

The WIC competitions will continue to be held each spring in annual rotation: Strings and Composition in 2022, Voice in 2023, and Piano again in 2024. 

In light of the one-year delay of the competition, the Chairs have decided to offer all semifinalists the option to modify their programs, if desired, as long as the repertoire conforms to the parameters of the competition guidelines. Any changes in repertoire must be approved by the Chairs. The deadline for approval will be announced when the final dates are confirmed. 

We are pleased to announce this year’s judges: Simone Dinnerstein, Robert McDonald, and John Perry.

Grace McFarlane and Junko Takahashi, Competition Co-Chairs, wicpiano2020@gmail.com
Frank Conlon, Foundation Director, frankconlon@comcast.net

Semifinals

Saturday, October 3, 2020, 9:30 am, Location TBD

Finals

Sunday, October 4, 2020, 2 pm, Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

Prizes

  • First Prize: $10,000
  • Second Prize: $5,000
  • Third Prize: $3,000
  • Three Finalist Awards: $1,000 each
  • Audience Prize: $1,000

Performance Awards

Performance awards include solo appearance with the Avanti Orchestra, and a solo recital in Washington, DC (Alice Nagle Fund)

Eligibility

Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30 (as of the date of the competition). Proof of age will be required. Applicants must not be under professional management. Previous first-prize winners of the competition and current students of the judges may not apply.

Application

Applications can be found at www.getacceptd.com/wic. Please direct all questions about the application process to Getacceptd.  Specific repertoire questions should be directed to the Co-Chairs at wicpiano2020@gmail.com. Applications will be accepted from September 15, 2019, until the deadline on February 15, 2020.

Preliminary Judges

  • Paul Leavitt
  • Scott Beard
  • Bok Hwa Kim
  • Rhoda Jeng
  • Charles Timbrell

Judges

  • Simone Dinnerstein
  • Robert McDonald
  • John Perry

Required Repertoire

Your repertoire must include the following:
  1. J. S. Bach: Any work. (Pieces with multiple sections or movements must be prepared in their entirety)
  2. An entire Classical Sonata by one of the following composers: Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven (excluding Op. 49), or Schubert
  3. A major work from the Romantic period
  4. A substantial work from the 20th or 21st century
  5. A piece of the contestant’s choice not to exceed 10 minutes
  • Applicants should be prepared to perform all submitted repertoire for the semifinal and final rounds.
  • All music must be performed by memory.
  • The submitted repertoire program should be a minimum of 60 minutes.

Regulations and Instructions

  1. No changes in repertoire permitted past the deadline date on February 15, 2020.
  2. Submit a maximum of 35 minutes chosen from your required repertoire for the audition video. List of formats allowed on the Getacceptd site. The selections should present a representation of your playing.
  3. A jury will review submissions and select 16 semifinalists.
  4. All applicants will be notified of the results by mid-March.
  5. Semifinalists will be sent further instructions as needed.

Housing

Housing will be offered to all semifinalists. These accommodations in private homes will include access to an excellent piano.

Additional Information

  1. The FMMC Foundation assumes no responsibility for actions of or injuries sustained by applicants or their escorts during their course of stay in the Washington, DC area.
  2. All contestants are responsible for transportation to and from Washington, DC.
  3. The decision of the judges is final and not to be disputed. No contact with the judges is permitted until after the results have been announced.
  4. The WIC reserves the right to use any recordings or photographs originated during the competitions, or any photographs or recordings provided by the contestants.

Contact

Further information about the competition and the application process is available from the Competition Co-Chairs at wicpiano2020@gmail.com.