The First China International Music Competition, newly created by the Global Music Education League and China Conservatory of Music, has announced the twenty-two pianists who will participate in Beijing from May 4 to 21 2019.

The competitors, all between seventeen and twenty-eight years of age, have been selected by the world’s foremost international music authorities and come from a total of ten countries: Australia, Belarus, Canada, China, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. Several competitors currently attend the world’s leading conservatories, and many have already won prizes at major international piano competitions such as the Cliburn, Chopin, and Queen Elisabeth.

The Competition will award a first prize of US$150,000 and a gold medal, a second prize of US$75,000 and a silver medal, and a third prize of US$30,000 and a crystal award to its top three winners. In addition to this unprecedented purse, the gold medalist will gain representation by two major international artist management companies: Opus 3 Artists in the United States and Armstrong Music and Arts in China, which, combined, will coordinate three years of international concert tours.

The distinguished international jury of the inaugural Competition includes: Li-guang Wang, president of the China International Music Competition, chairman of the Global Music Education League, and president of the China Conservatory of Music; Yoheved Kaplinsky, chairman of the jury and artistic director of the Competition; Dmitri Alexeev; Jan Jiracek von Arnim; Lydia Artymiw; Boris Berman; Michel Béroff; Fabio Bidini; Warren Jones; Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń; and Arie Vardi. None of the competitors currently study or have ever studied with any member of the jury.

All twenty-two pianists will perform a recital in the Preliminary Round of the Competition. The jury will then select twelve pianists to advance to the Semifinal Round, during which they will perform another recital and collaborate in a vocal recital. In the first phase of the Final Round, six pianists will perform a Classical concerto with the China Academia Orchestra, and then three finalists will be chosen to play a Final Round concert at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts with The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by its music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. All performances apart from the Final Round concert will take place in the concert hall of the China Conservatory.