2024 Piano Star International Competition

Rules and Regulations

2024 Piano Star

International Competition

Rules and Regulations

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What's New in 2024

  • The number of grand finalists have been expanded to 12 in Groups A, B, and C, 10 in Group D, and 8 in Group E.
  • The minimum time limit has been removed for the Preliminary Round and the Final Round.
  • The number of Final Round Locations has been increased. There will be a total of four locations this year: Online, New York, Shenzhen, Bangkok.
  • New Partnership with Skillman Music to provide recording discounts to 2024 Piano Star applicants in the New York area.

Eligibility

  • The Piano Star International Competition is open to pianists of any nationality, ages 18 and under.
  • Applicants studying with any Grand Final judges for their specific group are NOT eligible to apply. 
  • Applicants studying with any Final Round judges are eligible to apply but will not receive votes/scores from their teacher.
  • Previous Gold Medalists (from the Grand Finals) are not eligible to apply to the same age group, but they are eligible to compete in an older age group.

Important Dates

Click here to View the COMPLETE TIMELINE
  • October 20th, 2024: Preliminary Round Application & Video Submission Deadline
  • October 25th, 2024: Late deadline (additional $50 application fee)
  • October 31st, 2024: Announcement of Finalists
  • November 3rd, 2024: Final Round Application Deadline
  • November 16 & 17, 2024: In-Person Or Virtual Final Round
  • December 8th, 2024: Grand Finals Video Submission Deadline 
  • December 14 & 15, 2024: Grand Finals Livestream Broadcast 
  • June 29th, 2025, 7:30 pm: Carnegie Hall Winners Concert

Competition Fees

  • Preliminary Round Application Fee: $65 USD
  • Late Fee for Preliminary Round Application: $50 USD
  • Final Round Fee (all locations): $165 USD
  • Grand Final Fee: $65 USD

Age Groups

(Age requirements apply to the applicant’s age as of December 15, 2024.)

  • Group A (ages 7 and under)
  • Group B (ages 8-9)
  • Group C (ages 10-12)
  • Group D (ages 13-15)
  • Group E (ages 16-18)

General Repertoire Rules

  • Selected repertoire must be an original published classical composition from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or 20th/21st Century period.
  • One movement of Sonatina, Sonata, or Suite is acceptable.
  • Arrangements, simplified or modified editions, and popular music will not be accepted.
  • Piece(s) must be a solo work. Concertos, duets, and other chamber music works are not acceptable.
  • Method book pieces are ONLY allowed in the following groups:
    • Group A: piece(s) must be more than 16 measures long
    • Group B: piece(s) must be more than 32 measures long
  • Contestants may perform one piece or multiple pieces in each round.
  • Contestants may re-use repertoire from the Preliminary Round in later rounds. 
  • Contestants may NOT repeat repertoire from the Final Round in the Grand Final Round.

All pieces must be played from memory for all rounds.

Preliminary Round

– Video Recording Submission –

  • Contestants must decide, in the preliminary round application, whether they would like to join the Virtual (Zoom) Final Round or one of the In-Person Final Round locations if they were selected as a finalist.
  • Contestants may choose to perform a free program consisting of one piece or multiple pieces as long as it follows the General Repertoire Rules above and the time limit below. 
  • The submitted program must observe the following maximum time limits:
    • Group A (ages 7 and under): 3 minutes
    • Group B (ages 8-9): 4 minutes
    • Group C (ages 10-12): 8 minutes
    • Group D (ages 13-15): 15 minutes
    • Group E (ages 16-18): 20 minutes
  • Video Requirements:
    • Each piece must be recorded continuously and unedited.
    • If performing multiple pieces, contestants may record each piece separately, including different movements of the same piece. 
    • The camera should be in a fixed position and viewed horizontally.
    • Preferably, the contestant’s entire body and the keyboard should be visible at all times.
    • If a full-body angle is not possible, please ensure at least the upper body and the keyboard remain visible throughout the performance. 
    • The video is submitted with the application form as a link (e.g., YouTube unlisted) OR as a .mp4 or .mov video file upload.

Final Round​

– In-person or Virtual (Zoom) –

  • Contestants may choose to perform a free program consisting of one piece or multiple pieces as long as it follows the General Repertoire Rules and the time limit.
  • Contestants will perform LIVE on Zoom or at one of the in-person locations.
  • The submitted program must observe the following maximum time limits:

 

    • Group A (ages 7 and under): 3 minutes
    • Group B (ages 8-9): 4 minutes
    • Group C (ages 10-12): 5 minutes
    • Group D (ages 13-15): 8 minutes
    • Group E (ages 16-18): 10 minutes

 

  • In-Person Regional Final Round Only: A valid in-person regional group requires a minimum of 5 contestants. If fewer than 5 contestants choose the in-person option for a specific regional age group, contestants from that group will be offered the chance to join the virtual group or withdraw from the competition.
  • In all locations, contestants will play for a panel of three judges.
  • In all locations, contestants will receive verbal comments from one or more judges immediately after their performances.

Grand Final Round

– New Video Recording Submission –

  • Contestants may choose to perform a free program consisting of one piece or multiple pieces as long as it follows the General Repertoire Rules and the time limit.
  • The submitted program must observe the following minimum and maximum time limits:

 

    • Group A (ages 7 and under): 2 – 3 minutes
    • Group B (ages 8-9): 3 – 4 minutes
    • Group C (ages 10-12): 4 – 5 minutes
    • Group D (ages 13-15): 6 – 8 minutes
    • Group E (ages 16-18): 8 – 10 minutes

 

  • Contestants will make a brand new video recording after the Final Round. 
  • After the final round, each grand finalist will receive a one-page document from Piano League, which will be physically displayed next to the contestant during the video performance.
  • This document MUST be physically displayed. It cannot be digitally photoshopped or edited onto the video afterward. 
  • You may print out this document or display it on a tablet next to the piano.
  • Failure to verify that the video is newly recorded will result in immediate disqualification.

Selection Process

– Selection of Finalists –

  • Following the preliminary round, each contestant will receive a PL Star Score up to a perfect score of 10.0. The judges will consider the following definitions when giving their scores. 
      • 9.5 – 10.0 = High Distinction
      • 9.0 – 9.4 = Distinction 
      • 8.0 – 8.9 = Merit
      • 6.0 – 7.9 = Pass
    • Judges give their scores based on the contestant’s overall piano skills, which include, but are not limited to, technique, musicality, rhythm, tempo, tone color, accuracy, styles, voicing, and much more. 
    • All contestants will receive their scores via email. A Star Score only contains the numerical score – no written comments are added. 
  • There is no quota on the number of finalists we accept. All applicants who receive a PL Star Score of 8.0 or above will advance to the Final Round.

– SELECTION OF GRAND FINALISTS –

  • Selection of grand finalists will be based on the percentile rank within each age group at each location as long as the minimum score threshold is met.
  • Number of Grand Finalists
    • Group A, B and C: Up to 12 contestants per group. (Across all locations)
    • Group D: Up to 10 contestants per group. (Across all locations)
    • Group E: Up to 8 contestants per group. (Across all locations)
  • Minimum Score Threshold:
    Regardless of locations (virtual or in-person), contestants must achieve a minimum Final Round PL Star Score of 8.5 to be considered for the Grand Finals. The actual score needed to be selected may be much higher

Additional Rules

  • All votes and/or scores by each individual judge from the Final Round and Grand Final Round will be published on our website. 
  • We do not publish scores from the Preliminary Round due to the bigger variance in contestant scores. We want to pursue transparency while respecting younger contestants who may be participating in the competition for the very first time. 
  • Only one entry per contestant is allowed. 
  • Contestants should be dressed semi-formal or formal for all rounds.
  • The judges’ decisions are final. There will be no changes to the results after the announcements are made.
  • Should a contestant, teacher, or parent violate any of the rules and regulations and/or show inappropriate behavior toward judges, the competition organizing committee reserves the right to disqualify the contestant, and the application fee will not be refunded.
  • We reserve the right to record performances in all rounds and use all video submissions for marketing purposes.
  • We reserve the right to interpret the Rules and Regulations.
  • We reserve the right to cancel an age group if there are insufficient applicants. In this case, application fees will be refunded.
  • We only partner with reputable sponsors and have obtained written agreements from those who generously sponsor prizes and scholarships for our winners. However, we are NOT responsible or liable for any breach of the agreement by our partners and their actions after the competition, which includes, but are not limited to, unfulfilled scholarships and awards, extended delays, and fraud.
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