American Pianists Association

2025 AMERICAN PIANISTS AWARDS

The nomination period for the 2025 American Pianists Awards is November 13, 2024 to December 11, 2024.
Further details about the competition will be announced at a later date.

 

2021 AMERICAN PIANISTS AWARDS

 

PRELIMINARY ROUND

The first juried stage of the American Pianists Awards, the Preliminary Round, is an anonymous adjudication of nominees by a distinguished panel of musicians. Five finalists were chosen based upon exceptional technical ability and unique musical personality demonstrated in the nominees' submitted recordings.

PRE-COMPETITION AWARD

Each of the five 2021 American Pianists Awards finalists—Kenny Broberg, Dominic Cheli, Michael Davidman, Sahun Sam Hong and Mackenzie Melemed—were awarded cash prizes of $50,000 before the public adjudication process.

SOLO RECITALS

In Spring 2021, each pianist performed a solo recital livestreamed in HD worldwide, with no in-person audience. These recitals were part of the competition process and were adjudicated virtually by a distinguished panel.

FINALS

The competition culminated on June 25-27, 2021, with chamber music with the Dover Quartet, concerto performances with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Gerard Schwarz, and a short solo performance.

THE AWARD

In addition to the $50,000 awarded to each finalist, Kenny Broberg was selected to receive the Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship, consisting of career assistance for two years, publicity, performance engagements, an Artist-in-Residence post, and a recording contract with Steinway & Sons record label.

More details about the format change of the 2021 Awards can be found in the PRESS RELEASE.


2017 American Pianists Awards winner Drew Petersen

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Our diverse world shapes our music, the artistic language of our contestants. It delights, informs, and inspires us all. It is in this spirit that the American Pianists Association welcomes people of any race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and gender identity, as well as people with disabilities. We commit to learn from diverse talents, ideas, and voices. We pledge to create an environment for our artists, audiences, community partners, board, and staff that is based on the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Further, we commit to enacting strategic and annual plans that provide focused, measurable strategies for living out these values every day.