The Hilton Head International Piano Competition (HHIPC), established in 1996, is open to pianists aged 18 to 30 from around the globe. The competition alternates every three years with a separate event for young pianists aged 13 to 17, as well as the BravoPiano! Festival, which features previous prize winners and renowned keyboard artists.
For 2025, the finalists are Jonathan Mamora (29) from the U.S., Piotr Alexewicz (24) from Poland, and Jan Nikovich (23) from Croatia.
Each finalist will perform with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor John Morris Russell. The repertoire will include Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
The First Prize winner will receive a $20,000 award, along with a recital at Carnegie Hall, a return engagement with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, a studio recording on the Steinway & Sons label, and up to three years of management services provided by HHIPC Director Steven Shaiman.
The winner will also have the opportunity to perform with HHIPC’s Artistic Partners, including the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, South Carolina Philharmonic, Savannah Music Festival, College of Charleston International Piano Series, and Green Lake Festival of Music.
Second Prize is awarded $10,000, while Third Prize is valued at $5,000. Semifinalists will each receive $2,000. Other awards include $1,000 for the Best Performance of Commissioned Work and $1,000 for the Most Promising Non-Finalist.
The selection panel for the candidates included Alan Chow, Yong Hi Moon, and Antonio Pompa-Baldi. The jury for the 2025 competition will be chaired by Simone Dinnerstein, with members Marina Lomazov, Haesun Paik, Peter Takács, Terrence Wilson, Amy Yang, and Wei-Yi Yang.
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