Following three successful editions, the Festival Piano Talent competition will enter its fourth season in 2027 under a new name: the Vietnam International Piano Talent Competition 2027.

The change marks a significant expansion in scale, professional standards and the competition's ambition to connect young Vietnamese talent with the global music community.

The Vietnam International Piano Talent Competition 2027 is organized by the Vietnam Institute for Educational and Cultural Development, under the patronage of UNESCO associations in Vietnam and internationally, and in cooperation with Japan's Piano Ranking Association (PIARA).

At a press briefing on Oct. 2, Nguyen Van Tuan, chairman of the Vietnam Institute for Educational and Cultural Development and head of the organizing committee, said the competition would be open to contestants aged five to 25 regardless of nationality, supporting young talents from 194 countries in taking part.

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Nguyen Huy Phuong, director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

The competition will be held both online and in person, with several performance categories including solo piano, four-hand piano duets and piano concertos with a symphony orchestra.

A new piano concerto category will be introduced this year specifically for contestants who won gold medals in previous editions.

It will give these young musicians an opportunity to perform with a symphony orchestra, a format requiring advanced artistic interpretation, stage confidence and technical ability.

The jury and advisory council will include leading experts, artists and lecturers from Vietnam and abroad.

Among them are Nguyen Huy Phuong, director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music; Dao Trong Tuyen, head of the academy's Piano Department; Tran Viet Bao, a piano lecturer at the academy; Japanese pianist Ito Hiroko, head of the secretariat of the PIARA International Competition; and People's Artist Trung Hieu, director of the Hanoi Drama Theatre, along with lecturers from major arts institutions.

In addition to the competition's regular prizes, outstanding contestants will be selected for the Vietnam Piano Talent team to compete in the final round of the PIARA International Piano Competition in Japan.

Stricter copyright rules, with an eye on a sustainable music ecosystem

At the press conference, organizers said contestants were particularly encouraged to perform works by Vietnamese composers.

However, contestants and organizations submitting entries must independently obtain or purchase the necessary rights to perform works and arrangements or mixes that have been published or registered for copyright protection, in accordance with the law.

Beyond its role as an annual competition, the Vietnam International Piano Talent Competition aims to build a broader and more comprehensive music ecosystem.

Winners from previous editions will become Festival Piano Talent ambassadors, participating in community initiatives, media activities and concert series.

Following the 2027 competition, organizers plan to launch a series of international Grammy Camps in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore, along with masterclass programs connecting young musicians with professional music education institutions in Vietnam and abroad.

Tinh Le