The 2025 Quinquennial Piano Competition Celebrates 50 Year Milestone

Events Hosted by the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami

The Chopin Foundation of the United States announced the 11th National Chopin Piano Competition held in Miami, Florida, from January 4-12, 2025. Renowned as one of the premiere piano competitions in the world, the National Chopin Piano Competition is widely recognized as a pivotal stepping stone toward a thriving career in piano performance.

“The 50-year history of the National Chopin Piano Competition is truly impressive,” said Barbara Muze, Executive Director of the Chopin Foundation. “When I reflect on how much the Chopin Foundation has accomplished over the years, the success of its winners on the international stage, and all of the lives we have touched through our various programs, I am simply inspired. I can’t wait to see what the future will bring.”

The Chopin Foundation continues to solidify its commitment to assisting young, talented American pianists in developing their careers as international concert artists by offering a first prize of $100,000, sponsored by Lady Blanka Rosenstiel and the Rosenstiel Foundation, guaranteed acceptance into the 2025 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, and a concert tour. Pianists born between 1995 and 2009 and holding U.S. citizenship (native born or naturalized), are invited to submit their fully executed applications by October 1, 2024. The application, repertoire, and regulations can be found here.

“For 50 years, the Chopin Foundation has, without fail, dedicated itself to supporting young American pianists,” said Blanka A. Rosenstiel, Founder and President of the Chopin Foundation. “It gives me great pride to see the meaningful impact the Chopin Foundation has had on the development of so many young musicians as they grow and flourish into some of today’s most respected artists. Knowing that we played an important role in this development is priceless.”

One of the hallmarks of the National Chopin Piano Competition is its long-standing association with many of the leading pianists and pedagogues of today, especially with those who deeply value integrity and professionalism. The esteemed jury for the 11th National Chopin Piano Competition will be chaired by American pianist Kevin Kenner, a past winner of top prizes at the International Chopin and the Tchaikovsky International competitions. He will be joined by Ning An, Rachel Naomi Kudo, Robert McDonald, Jon Nakamatsu, Garrick Ohlsson, Ewa Pobłocka, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, and Dina Yoffe.

"As a prizewinner myself nearly 35 years ago, I want to ensure we perfect the mechanisms of the competition to provide fair and reliable results," commented Kevin Kenner, Chair of the 2025 National Chopin Piano Competition. “It is with great anticipation that I look forward to adjudicating the Competition in the company of some of the giants of the piano world, who have garnered praise internationally, including renowned teachers and prizewinners of the U.S. and International Chopin Piano Competitions. With such a jury, I am confident we will be able to identify and richly reward some of the most promising young American talents.”

The 2025 event marks a 50-year milestone for the quinquennial Piano Competition. As one of the cornerstones of the celebrations, the first three in-person rounds will be held for the first time in the Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Recital Hall at the Knight Center for Music Innovation, a new 25,000-square-foot state-of-the-art performance and technology center, at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

“The Frost School is thrilled to host the 2025 Chopin Piano Competition, continuing our long-standing partnership with the Chopin Foundation of the United States,” said Shelton G. Berg, Dean, Patricia L. Frost Professor, University of Miami Frost School of Music. “The Chopin Competition is an aspiration for the world’s most brilliant emerging pianists, and past winners are a “Who’s Who” of 20th and 21st Century pianists. We look forward to witnessing the future of pianism in 2025!”

For 50 years, the Chopin Foundation and the National Chopin Piano Competition have earned a prestigious reputation in Miami, in the US, and abroad as one of the foremost proponents of talented American pianists. Through competition prizes, scholarships, and performance opportunities, the organization has touched the lives of thousands of young artists.

Across five decades, over 500 young pianists have applied, and more than 200 of America’s best pianists from 30 states were selected to compete in Miami during the first ten editions of the National Chopin Piano Competition. Since the first Competition in 1975, held in collaboration with the University of Miami, five American pianists have won top prizes in Warsaw.

Rounds

No more than twenty-six highly talented young competitors are selected to participate in the 11th National Chopin Piano Competition by a digital-only Pre-Selection Round determined by a subset of members from the larger jury. Those competitors that are chosen are then invited to Miami in January 2025 to participate in four live rounds. The Preliminary (January 4 and 5), Quarterfinal (January 6 and 7), and Semifinal (January 8 and 9) Rounds are free and open to the public. These three rounds take place in the Frost School of Music’s Newman Recital Hall at the University of Miami.

The Final Round of the 11th National Chopin Piano Competition takes place on January 11 and 12, 2025, in the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall at Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Each finalist will perform one of Chopin’s two concerti. The Finals of the 11th National Chopin Piano Competition are ticketed events. Ticketing information will be announced at a later date. 

Each round of the Competition will be livestreamed. A complete event schedule for the 11th National Chopin Piano Competition can be found here. For more information about the Chopin Foundation of the United States or the 2025 Competition, please visit chopin.org.

Additional Prizes

In addition to the $100,000 cash prize—one of the largest of any piano competition— the winner of the 11th National Chopin Piano Competition will automatically be accepted to compete in the 2025 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. The Chopin Foundation also arranges a concert tour for the first prize winner.

The second prize winner will receive a cash prize of $30,000 and is also automatically accepted to compete in the 2025 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. Third place receives $20,000 and automatic acceptance to the 2025 International Chopin Piano Competition’s Preliminary Round, April/May 2025. A complete listing of prizes can be found here.