Competition Required Repertoire

First Round and Second Round

Over the course of the first round and the second round, each of the requirements listed below must be represented once.

One Chopin etude
One sonata by Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven

Once the category requirements are met, remaining time can be filled with the repertoire of the contestant’s choice. A category may be repeated, but not a piece.

Contestants may present their choice of works in any order, provided the first round performances does not exceed 20 minutes, and the second round performances do not exceed 30 minutes. All contestants will perform two rounds before the first jury vote.

Semi-Final Round, Solo Recital

The semi-final round will consist of a recital not to exceed 40 minutes. The recital must include:

One work or group of works by Chopin, Brahms, Schubert, or Schumann
One virtuosic popular music transcriptions by Moscow-based pianist and composer Alexey Kurbatov commissioned for the 2021 CIPC. Contestants will choose one of the following:
- Olympic Fanfare by John Williams
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
- “America” from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
- Themes from Mission Impossible by Lalo Schifrin

Once the category requirements are met, remaining time can be filled with the repertoire of the candidate’s choice. A category may be repeated, but not a piece. The program should demonstrate the candidate’s ability to present a stylistically diverse program.

Semi-Final Round, Two Piano/Four Hands

For the first time in a major solo competition, contestants will have an opportunity to show their musicianship when collaborating with a fellow contestant. Semi-Finalists will be randomly paired and assigned to perform one of the following masterpieces:

MOZART
Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448

SCHUBERT
Fantasie in F Minor, D. 940

Final Round, Chamber Music

Contestants will choose one work from the following list:

BRAHMS
Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34

DVORAK
Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81

FRANCK
Piano Quintet in F Minor

SCHUMANN
Piano Quintet in E-Flat Major, Op. 44

SHOSTAKOVICH
Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57

Final Round, Concerto

Contestants will choose one concerto from the following list*:

BACH
Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 1052
Concerto No. 2 in E Major, BWV 1053
Concerto No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1054
Concerto No. 4 in A Major, BWV 1055
Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056

BEETHOVEN
Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15
Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19
Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37
Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73

BRAHMS
Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15
Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83

CHOPIN
Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11
Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21

GRIEG
Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16

HAYDN
Concerto No. 11 in D Major, Hob. XVIII/11

MENDELSSOHN
Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25
Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 40

MOZART
Concerto No. 11 in F Major, K. 413
Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414
Concerto No. 13 in C Major, K. 415
Concerto No. 14 in E-flat Major, K. 449
Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453
Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466
Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491
Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503
Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595

PROKOFIEV
Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26

RACHMANINOFF
Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18
Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30

SCHUMANN
Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54

TCHAIKOVSKY
Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23

*Please note: concertos performed during the final round will be in accordance with the health and safety guidelines provided by the CDC and mutually agreed upon between Piano Cleveland and The Cleveland Orchestra.