The first round of this year's Leeds International Piano Competition will take place later this month and for the first time will be launching in 16 countries worldwide, with 62 competitors from 28 different countries. In previous years, the first round of the competition has only hosted auditions in five countries, but this has been extended to allow all competitors to take part amid extensive travel restrictions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
16 venues across the world will be open to between one and 14 competitors as part of the competition's first round, with each pianist performing on a Steinway Model D and the same camera and audio set-up, all complying with social distancing regulations. Rather than having a jury or audience present, each recital will be filmed and watched by a remote jury. These performances will be available at a later date for audiences to watch online. This year's jury includes Adam Gatehouse, the competition's artistic director; pianists Simone Dinnerstein and Noriko Ogawa; and record producer Martin Sauer.
The first round of the competition will take place from 28 March to 8 April. 24 musicians will proceed to the next round in September, when the second round, semi-finals and final will take place in Leeds, UK.
The venues for the first round of this year's Leeds International Piano Competition are as follows:
Arvika (SWEDEN) Ingesund School of Music 2 competitors
Basel (SWITZERLAND) Hochschule 1 competitor
Beijing (CHINA) Central Conservatory 5 competitors
Berlin (GERMANY) University of the Arts 14 competitors
Cleveland (US) Cleveland Institute of Music 3 competitors
Kansas City (US) 1900 Building 1 competitor
London (UK) Royal Academy of Music 7 competitors
Miami (US) Frost School of Music - University of Miami 1 competitor
Milan (ITALY) Steinway venue 1 competitor
Moscow (RUSSIA) Conservatoire 2 competitors
New York (US) DiMenna Center 6 competitors
Paris (FRANCE) Salle Cortot 7 competitors
Seoul (SOUTH KOREA) National University 1 competitor
Tokyo (JAPAN) Yumeria Hall 2 competitors
Vienna (AUSTRIA) University of Music 5 competitors
Warsaw (POLAND) Steinway venue 3 competitors
