Birmingham International Piano Competition returns after hiatus

Birmingham International Piano Competition (BIPC) will return this month following a two-year hiatus. With the video application deadline now past, the competition’s second round will take place on 23 and 24 June with the grand final on 3 July.

Having been transferred to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) in November 2021, the competition is now under the artistic direction of head of the department of keyboard studies, Professor John Thwaites and is aiming towards accessibility.

Professor Thwaites said: ‘The entrance fee is modest, we are allowing Free Choice programming, and all our live rounds take place in the Conservatoire's flagship Bradshaw Hall. My hope is that those who travel to Birmingham will feel that the Competition has done everything possible to help them play at their best and to be rewarded accordingly.’

This aligns with the competition’s philanthropic origins. BIPC was founded in 1979 by Miss Gladys Lily Brant to encourage young pianists to continue their studies and forge a career because Brant herself had been unable to pursue a promising career due to financial barriers. The event was rebranded as Birmingham International Piano Competition in 2017. Previous winners of can be found here.

Following this month’s second round, four pianists will be chosen for the competition final in which they will each perform a forty-minute public recital in front of a jury including pianists Katya Apekisheva, Philip Fisher and Carole Presland.

You can find more information, including tickets at the competition website.