About the competition

The first international piano competition run by the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC) took place in 2017–18, and originally featured 11 preliminary rounds in different countries before the final stage in Malta. The EUFSC has since built on this success, expanding the number of countries in the initial stages of the competition to 14, increasing the prizes available to competitors and moving the event to Dubai, UAE.

The competition will take place as part of the EUFSC and SAMIT Event Group’s InClassica International Music Festival, an event of considerable scope spanning almost a month, inviting world-renowned musicians and orchestras from across the globe to the Middle East in a celebration of classical and contemporary music.

Audiences can look forward to live performances of various works for piano performed by the top-ranked participants from the previous 14 rounds held internationally, and covering a wide range of repertoire from baroque to contemporary. In addition, the third round of the competition will see each competitor performing Composer-In-Residence Alexey Shor’s Travel Notebook Piano Concerto. Born in Kiev and now located primarily in New York, Mr Shor has contributed significantly to the work of the EUFSC and enjoys a prolific career that has seen his compositions performed all over the world by ensembles including Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, the Brandenburg State Orchestra and many others.

The final two rounds of Classic Piano will require participants to perform with live orchestra, a role the EUFSC is proud to announce will be performed by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra (ASSO) under the baton of Sergey Smbatyan. A long-time collaborator of the EUFSC, the ASSO has performed in many countries around the world including Germany, France, Russia, Belgium, China, the Netherlands, Italy, Lebanon and at prestigious venues such as Opera Garnier (Paris), Konzerthaus (Berlin), Dr. Anton Philipszaal (Hague), Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels), Tchaikovsky Philharmonic Concert Hall and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire.

Open to competitors of all nationalities, ethnicities and creeds, the ‘Classic Piano’ International Piano Competition is a celebration of egalitarianism, fortitude and, above all, our shared love of music. The EUFSC and SAMIT Event Group extend a warm welcome to all attendees of the competition, and to the competitors, good luck!

“This is, of course, first and foremost a competition. But let us not forget that this is also a fantastic series of concerts celebrating some of the most inspiring music in the piano’s repertoire, and, equally importantly, an excellent opportunity for musicians of different backgrounds to come together transnationally in an exciting shared musical experience. I look forward to welcoming you all to Dubai and to the second grand edition of the ‘Classic Piano’ International Piano Competition.” - Konstantin Ishkhanov, President of the European Foundation for Support of Culture.