4th World Piano E-Competition 2023

"Napolinova"

Open to young pianists of any nationality
One round through video link and free program

The “Napolinova World Piano E-Competition” 2023 is created with the goal of providing young pianists with an opportunity to show their creativity. The Piano E-Competition was born in the 2020, during pandemic period, that has forced all of us to stay at home, and to cancel our concerts, festivals, and live competitions. Young artists have continued to work hard, and we want to give them a chance to present themselves and their progress. This Competition is organized by “Napolinova”, a musical association that has, for more than twenty years, has promoted young artists through the creation of musical events. The jury members reside on different continents, but each one of them in known worldwide. We will avail ourselves of their great experience and expertise and ensure that the whole process is fair and transparent. Winners will receive wide exposure through broadcasts, social media, and even live concerts, to help their artistic career. Three scholarships and concerts will be awarded at winners. Ex-aequo are allowed. In case of ex-aequo, the prizes will be divided.  The scholarships awarded will be equal to 60% of the registration fees paid for this Competition.  At the conclusion of the competition, participants who do not win prizes can choose whether to make their videos public or keep them unlisted. The winners must immediately go on YouTube or YouKu and make sure their videos’ settings are switched to “public”. Those videos will be posted on the “Napolinova” Association’s Facebook Page and in social the jury members. 


RULES

Categories

A) pianists born from 01/01/2013 and younger. Video duration max 5 minutes
B) pianists born from 01/01/2009 and younger. Video duration max 8 minutes
C) pianists born from 01/01/2005 and younger. Video duration max 12 minutes
D) pianists no age limit. Video duration max 15 minutes

Contestants may choose to apply to any one category, so long as they are not older than the age limit.

Jury

PRIZES

The winners the online concert will be awarded the chance to perform a live-streamed concert from a location of their choice. Duration will depend on their age, prize, and repertoire. Prize winners may decide to record a performance instead of streaming it live. Either the live or the recorded performance will be published on the "Napolinova" Facebook page, and on the Facebook, WeChat, YouTube, or Youku platforms of the jury members.

 

Application Fees

Cat. A: € 40 - Cat. B: € 60 - Cat. C: € 80 - Cat. D: €100

Applications must be received in full. Any bank fees must be paid by the sender,
or the application will be deemed not valid.

JURY
(in alphabetical order)

LEONID MARGARIUS - (EUROPE)

Born in the Ukraine, there he received a specialized musical education, developing his talent under the guidance of Regina Horowitz in the town of Kharkov. He then went on to conclude his studies in the School for High Musical Specialization at the Conservatory of Moscow. After intensive concert activity, he proved himself to be both an extraordinary teacher and mentor to numerous young artists as well as the winners of some of the most prestigious interational piano competitions: First Prizes at the “Reine Elizabeth” (Queen Elizabeth) Competition in Brussels (1999), the Busoni of Bolzano in Italy (1992 and 2001), the Montreal Competition in Canada (1996), the Paloma O’Shea in Santander, Spain (2005),the Maria Canals(Barcelona 2010,2014), the Maj Lind in Helsinki, Finland (2002), the Concertino of Prague in the Czech Republic (1991), the Minnesota International e-Piano Competition(USA,2009), the Pinerolo Competition in Italy(1998),the "Viotti" in Vercelli(2005), the “Città di Cantù” (City of Cantù) (1998,2001,2005 2006),the“Premio Venezia”(Venezia 2007,2008,2012),the Chopin Competition ( Roma 2009) in Italy among others; Second Prizes at Busoni, Italy (2003), Rubenstein in Tel Aviv (1996), the London Competition in the United Kingdom (2002,2009), and the Long-Thibaud in Paris, France (2004),the Maj Lind in Finland (2012) among others. His apprentices have also distinguished themselves at the aforementioned Tchiaikovsky Competition in Moscow,Reine Elizabeth Competition(2003,2007,2010), the Chopin Competition in Warsaw (Poland), and the Leeds Competition (United Kingdom 1989,2009), as well as competitions in Hamamatsu (Japan) and Sydney (Australia), the Unisa Competition in Pretoria (South Africa), the Schumann Competition in Zwickau (Germany),the Epinal Piano Competition,the Cantu Piano competition,the Busoni Piano competition; the Bach Competitions in Leipzig and Saarbrucken (Germany), the Lysenko Competitions in Kiev and Lvov (Ukraine) as well as many others. For his outstanding personal contribution given to national cultural development as well as his role in the preparation of the country’s musical elite, the President of the Republic of Ukraine awarded Maestro Margarius with the title of “Leading Personality in the World of Culture” in 1993. Since 1995, Leonid Margarius has been a professor at the “Incontri col Maestro” International Piano Academy in Imola, Italy. He is often called to take part in judging some of the most important piano competitions and he holds Master Classes in various countries throughout the world.

ROBERTO PLANO - (AMERICA)

Italian native Roberto Plano performs regularly throughout North America and Europe – notably at Lincoln Center, Sala Verdi, Salle Cortot, Wigmore Hall and the Herkulessaal. He has appeared with orchestras all over the world, under the direction of renowned conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner, James Conlon, Pinchas Zuckerman, Miguel Harth-Bedoya. He has been a featured recitalist at the internationally acclaimed Newport Festival, the Portland Piano Festival, Ravinia Festival and the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival (USA), Chopin Festival (Poland), the Bologna Festival - Great Soloists (Italy), and many others. He played with String Quartets such as the Takacs, Cremona, St. Petersburg, Fine Arts, Jupiter, Muir, as well as soloists such as Ilya Grubert, Pavel Berman, Jiri Barta, Enrico Bronzi, and in duo with his wife Paola Del Negro.

Mr. Plano was the First Prize Winner at the 2001 Cleveland International Piano Competition, Prize Winner at the Honens, Dublin, Sendai, Geza Anda and Valencia Competitions and Finalist at the 2005 Van Cliburn and the Busoni Competitions, in addition to having won 15 First Prizes in National Competitions in Italy. In January 2018 he won the American Prize in the solo professional division. Mr. Plano’s engaging personality has made him a favorite guest on radio programs such as NPR’s Performance Today.

He has recorded more than 20 commercial CDs for Briliant, Sipario, Azica, Arktos, DaVinci, Concerto, being awarded five stars by several music magazines. and he recently released several World Première CDs with music by Andrea Luchesi (1741-1801). Mr. Plano gave the world premiere of two Luchesi piano concertos with the Busoni Chamber Orchestra in Trieste, Italy; the US premiere took place with the Toledo Symphony, Stefan Sanderling conducting. Mr. Plano’s debut recording with DECCA Classics was also recently released, featuring the “Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses” by Liszt, which have not been recorded by Decca since the 60’s. Recent events include soloist appearances with Kremerata Baltica at the Portogruaro International Festival in Italy, with the Royal Camerata at the Athenauem Theater in Bucarest (Romania) and with the Boston Civic Symphony at Regis College, and recitals and chamber music concerts at the Stellenbosh Symposium, Sudafrica, at the Yamaha Center, Taiwan, at Vivace Vilnius Festival in Lituania, Gijon International Piano Festival in Spain and at the Boston Athenauem in USA. He was also invited to give several concerts in Russia, including two concerts at the Kremlin State Palace in Moscow, and a 10-concert chamber music tour in China with The Juilliard School’s faculty Laurie Smukler and Darrett Adkins.

Mr. Plano studied at the Verdi Conservatory in Milan, the Ecole Normale “Cortot” in Paris, where he earned the Diplôme Supérieur de Concertiste, obtaining first prize with unanimous decision and congratulations of the Jury, and the Lake Como Academy. Mr. Plano has been described by The Chronicle as the “Pavarotti of the Piano” for his lyricism and defined by Chicago radio commentator Paul Harvey as the heir to Rubinstein and Horowitz. In Italy, he has appeared on the cover of the most important music magazine, Amadeus, and has been awarded several prizes, including the Lumen Claro, previously assigned to such noteworthy people as soprano Barbara Frittoli, stylist Ottavio Missoni, and economist Mario Monti. NY Times music critic Anthony Tommasini has written: “This Italian pianist showed artistic maturity beyond his years… there was a wonderful clarity and control of inner voices in his performances…”.

After joining in 2016 the Faculty of Boston University, in 2018 he has been appointed as Associate Professor of Piano at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. One of the most sought-after teachers in the world, Mr. Plano also regularly teaches during the summer at Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival and at Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival. Starting in 2023, he will be on the Faculty of Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana (Lugano, Switzerland) and Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK).

ELEANOR WONG - (ASIA)

Professor Eleanor Wong began her musical studies in Hong Kong with Betty Drown and later as an Associated Board Scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, London with Frederic Jackson and Max Pirani. Besides winning numerous prizes and awards, Eleanor was one the few students graduated with both the Graduate Diploma (G.R.S.M), and the Recital Diploma as well as top honours: the Walter Macfarren Gold medal and Majorie Whyte Memorial Award for the most outstanding students. After winning the coveted Boise Scholarship, Eleanor studied in Paris with Vlado Perlemuter and later in New York with Artur Balsam. Winner of silver medal at the Viotti International Competition Italy, Professor Wong broadcasted on RTHK (Hong Kong), WNYC (New York), BBC (UK), and overseas services. As a soloist she has given recitals extensively in the United Kingdom (including the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in London) in Hong Kong and the United States, as a Piano Duo with her sister they have performed together in Hong Kong, in cities of China and in the States. Professor Wong is recognised as one of the foremost piano pedagogues with many of her pupils winning top prizes in international piano competitions including the Chopin International Piano Competition, the Van Cliburn, the Leeds, Gina Bachauer and the Casa. Being one of the most sought-after teachers, Professor Wong frequently hosted lectures and workshops on Piano Pedagogy and has given master-classes in China, Korea, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Uruguay, South Africa, England and USA. She is also a frequent member of jury in various international piano competitions and festivals. Presently, Eleanor Wong is Professor of Music（Keyboard）at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She is also a visiting professor at the Shenzhen School of Arts and Wuhan Music Conservatory, and an honorary professor of the Tianjin Music Conservatory. She is a Steinway Artist, Co-Director of the Hong Kong Summer Music, Professor Wong is the Chairperson of the Piano Teachers’ Association in Hong Kong and Artistic Advisor of The Dalcroze Society of Hong Kong. She has served as Advisors for the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC), Trinity Guildhall music exam (Hong Kong). In 2008, Professor Wong was elected one of 2007 Outstanding Leaders by Singtao Daily in Hong Kong for her contributions to the musical world. In 2013 Professor Wong was awarded the Hong Kong Women of Excellence in the Six Arts for her work in field of Music by the Hong Kong Federation of Women. In 2014, Professor Wong received the Medal of Honour from the Hong Kong SAR Government, recognising her dedication and contribution to piano education and grooming of local young pianists. In 2018, Professor Wong was honoured with a Life Time Achievement Award in music education by the 5th Hong Kong International Music Festival.

4th World Piano E-Competition 2023

APPLICATION FORM