2022 Hilton Head International Piano Competition
Special COVID-19 Eligibility Requirement
IF YOU ARE ACCEPTED AS A COMPETITOR OR ALTERNATE FOR THE 2022 HHIPC YOU MUST SHOW PROOF THAT YOU ARE FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 BY FEBRUARY 1, 2022.
THE HHIPC RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ADJUST ITS PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS BASED ON THE EVOLVING CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL.
The Hilton Head International Piano Competition welcomes pianists of all nationalities.
Applicants must be at least age 18 at the beginning of the Competition (March 7, 2022) and no older than 30 at the end of the Competition (March 14, 2022).
First Prize winners of previous Hilton Head International Piano Competitions are not eligible to apply again.
Any applicant who falls into one of the categories below will NOT be eligible for this competition:
related to any member of the 2022 Competitor Selection Jury or the 2022 Competition Jury, or
has studied as a private student or student at a University or School of Music in the past five years with any member of the 2019 Competitor Selection Jury or the 2022 Competition Jury as their primary teacher [excluding master classes, summer programs and festivals] or,
has been coached by a member of either of the 2022 Juries in preparation for the 2022 Hilton Head International Piano Competition
Each competitor will program repertoire in Rounds I, II, and III at his/her discretion. The maximum time for each round must include time between movements and between compositions. Failure to comply with the specific time limit for each round may result in a penalty by the Competition Jury.
The choice of the repertoire for each segment of the competition is at the competitor’s own discretion, but should demonstrate his/her programming skills by including compositions by a variety of composers, reflecting contrasting styles and periods. The selections should also showcase the applicant’s pianistic capabilities and virtuosity.
Competition repertoire for each round, in the order you plan to perform each piece, must be submitted to the competition office no later than December 1, 2021. Changes may be made up to, but no later than January 15, 2022.
ROUND I: Competitors will each perform a solo recital not to exceed 25 minutes.
ROUND II: Competitors will each perform a solo recital not to exceed 30 minutes. Repertoire from Round I may not be repeated.
ROUND III (Semi-Finals): Semi-Finalists will each perform a solo recital of repertoire of his/her own choosing, not to exceed 50 minutes. Repertoire from earlier rounds may not be repeated.
ROUND IV (Finals) Finalists will each perform one complete work from the 2022 Concerto List below with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro John Morris Russell:
2022 Approved Concerto List
Beethoven – Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19
Beethoven – Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Beethoven – Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Beethoven – Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73
Chopin – Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
Chopin – Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
Grieg – Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Liszt – Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, S.124
Liszt – Concerto No. 2 in A major, S. 125
Mozart – Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K.466
Mozart – Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467
Mozart – Concerto No. 23 in A major, K.488
Mozart – Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503
Mozart – Concerto No. 26 in D major, K.537
Prokofiev – Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26
Rachmaninoff – Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
Rachmaninoff – Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
Saint-Saëns – Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
Schumann – Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
Tchaikovsky – Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
2022 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
- Saturday, March 5: Action testing of competition piano;
- Saturday, March 5: welcome party for competitors and host families, drawing for performance order
- Monday and Tuesday, March 7 & 8: Round I
- Wednesday and Thursday, March 9 & 10: Round II & School Ambassador Program
- Friday, March 11: Master Classes and School Ambassador Program; practice time for Semi-Finalists
- Saturday, March 12: Round III Semi-Finals
- Sunday, March 13: One-on-One Conversations with the Judges in the morning; rehearsals with the HHSO for the finalists
- Monday, March 14: Round IV Finals (Awards Ceremony & Reception)
PRIZES
- First Prize: $15,000; a recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall during the 2019-20 season; production and distribution of a CD on the Archiv/Steinway & Sons label; return engagement with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and other performance opportunities
- Second Prize: $10,000
- Third Prize: $5,000
- Medalist Prizes (3): $1,000
- Sascha Gorodnitzki Memorial Prize :$1,000
MISSION
The mission of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition is to encourage and support excellence in the performance of classical piano music by showcasing the talents of young pianists on the threshold of their careers in competitions adjudicated by internationally acclaimed judges, and to offer additional performance opportunities.
ABOUT THE HHIPC
The Hilton Head International Piano Competition, one of the leading international piano competitions in the United States, operates with a three year rotation of events: an adult competition for pianists 18 – 30 years of age, a young artist competition for pianists 13 – 17 years of age, and a festival that showcases past prize winners and other famous piano artists performing music ranging from classical to jazz genres. The competition events draw applicants, artists, and audience from countries the world over.
March 8-12, 2018 is the inaugural year of the festival: BravoPiano!…a Festival from Bach to Brubeck. Events will include solo piano recitals, lecture/recitals, a performance of chamber music, interactive discussions about jazz and the interrelationship with classical music, a jazz piano concert, and a gala finale night of three piano concerti played with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. Featured performers include Jon Kimura Parker, Steven Lin, Charlie Albright, Fei-Fei Dong, Elliot Wuu, Ran Dank, Soyeon Kate Lee, and The Christian Sands Trio. We are thrilled not only to offer multiple performance formats and a range of musical genres, but also to present numerous stellar, prize-winning artists whose stars continue to rise on the international stage.
Returning in March, 2019, twenty select 18-30 year old artists will be competing in four exciting rounds for $34,000 in cash prizes, a Carnegie Hall concert, and a CD recording on the Steinway label. In addition, the First Prize winner earns a return engagement as soloist with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, and other performance opportunities. The prestigious 2019 juries are comprised of 10 internationally acclaimed pianists from numerous countries.
Competitors stay in the homes of host families, who provide lodging, meals, transportation, and access to a competition quality grand piano for practice. Over 200 volunteers staff all Competition events. Island residents host the judges for dinners in their homes during the week of Competition and others offer the judges use of their grand pianos for personal practice.
Most of the twenty competitors serve as Ambassadors to our local schools. Ambassadors perform at one of the public or private local schools and talk with students about life in their home country. Several thousand students in our area have benefited from, and are inspired by, this wonderful outreach program.
Special events during the week which are open to the public include Master Classes given by the competition judges to competitors who are not advancing beyond Round III, and a special Lecture/Recital by the Jury Chair.
The HHIPC for ages 17-30 will return in March, 2020, when twenty pianists will compete in three rounds for $21,500 in cash prizes. The First Prize winner will also be awarded a return performance with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and other performance engagements.