Piano Competition

Pianists in the Portland Metropolitan area (who reside within a 75-mile radius of Portland) who will be high school seniors or younger in the academic year 2025-2026. The competition is open to all who qualify.

Applicants should choose a piano concerto or concert piece with orchestral accompaniment. Please note that the accompaniment for the concerto must be available for PYP to rent or purchase in order for the concerto to be considered for live performance. For works that might be considered obscure, unusually long (over 35 minutes) or require unusual orchestration, please consult PYP.

Deadline for completed applications, audio recording uploaded to Dropbox (no videos) and $35 application fee is Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 11:59 PM PDT.

Please use this form to submit you audition.

After you submit this form, you will be sent a link to upload your audio files.

Pianists should submit a live, unedited, unaccompanied audio recording of a movement from the concerto selected.

Selected finalists will be notified by Monday, January 6, 2025 and invited to perform the movement from their chosen concerto on Friday, January 31, 2025 at Lincoln Recital Hall (Room75), Portland State University. Pianists should memorize the one movement which shows artistic and technical proficiency.

Note: The entire concerto will be presented with the Philharmonic Orchestra by the competition winner. The second place winner will play a mutually agreed upon short work for piano and orchestra with PYP or Camerata PYP.

Each finalist is responsible for providing (at their own expense) their own accompanist to perform the orchestral score reduction. Accompaniment is required for the Competition Finals.

The winner must be available during the rehearsal process for the concert period mutually agreed upon by the artist and the Conductor.

First Prize

• The winner will receive the opportunity to perform with PYP at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall during the 2025-2026 Season.


• Professional photo shoot prior to the performance (Courtesy of Portland Youth Philharmonic)

Second Prize

• The second place winner will play a mutually agreed upon short work for piano and orchestra with PYP or Camerata PYP.

Mr. Nolan Tu, student of Dr. Renato Fabbro, with Concerto No. 2, op. 22, of Camille Saint-Saëns

Nolan Tu played the entire concerto with the Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at the opening concert of our centennial season on Saturday evening, November 11, 2023, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Plus, he won a $1,000 scholarship for further piano studies.

Mr. Hansen Berrett, student of Dr. Renato Fabbro, with Concerto No. 3, op. 26, of Sergei Prokofiev

Hansen Berrett will be the featured soloist for the Schnitzer Series Spring Concert: The Search for Beauty on May 4, 2025. He won a $500 scholarship for further piano studies.

Ms. Chloe Zhang, student of Kelli Stephens, with Concerto in F Major, Hob. XVIII:3, of Franz Josef Haydn

Alongside the Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael performed Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

Alongside the Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael performed George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F Major on Saturday, November 9, 2019 for the Fall Schnitzer Series Concert.

Hear the winner of the 2017-18 Piano Concerto Competition, Natalie Tan perform Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with PYP on November 11, 2017.

Aveek Ganguly is the two-time Runner up of PYP’s biennial Piano Concerto Competition in 2015 and 2017. He performed Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra on Sunday, November 12, 2017, in the Skyview Auditorium.