Overview
The 2026 Tianjin Juilliard Piano Festival (TJPF) will take place from August 2 to 16, 2026 at The Tianjin Juilliard School in China.
The two-week festival offers a vibrant environment where pianists are inspired by the highest levels of music making throughout the program.
Performing participants work alongside the world’s finest pianists and teachers in 12 master classes; receive over 200 hours of private lessons; attend recitals given by eminent artists; are given performance opportunities; and have access to the finest performance and practice spaces. The festival will provide full scholarships and international travel stipends for all Young Artist participants, and select winners will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Asian Youth Orchestra on its 2027 tour.
Embracing the importance of collaborative music-making, the festival provides the unique experience of working with a chamber orchestra and conductor, as well as reading chamber music with renowned chamber musicians.
With a line-up of stellar artists, the festival aims to create a world-class event for young pianists and the music-loving community to come together for an experience to remember.
Watch 2025 Tianjin Juilliard Piano Festival highlights below.
Participation
The 2026 Tianjin Juilliard Piano Festival welcomes applications for performing participants, auditors, or as part of the Teacher Auditor Program.
- Young Artist: ages 16 to 26 (as of August 1, 2026)
Up to 12 Young Artist participants are selected through an application process, attend the piano festival tuition-free, and receive a stipend for international travel.
Young Artists under 18 years may attend the festival without a guardian with signed permission.
Young Artists may attend the festival for a maximum of three years.
Young Artist program highlights:
- Four lessons with TJPF faculty
- One master class
- Two performances in an Emerging Artist Recital
- Young Artist Concerto Competition
- Chamber Music readings
- Dedicated practice room
- Certificate of Participation
- Click here for more details
- Junior: ages 8 to 15 (as of August 1, 2026)
Up to 36 Junior participants are selected through an application process.
All Juniors must be accompanied by an adult guardian throughout the festival.
Junior program highlights:
- Four lessons with TJPF faculty
- One master class
- One performance in an Emerging Artist Recital
- Concerto rehearsal with chamber orchestra and conductor
- Junior Concerto Competition (selected applicants)
- Chamber Music readings
- Shared practice room with one other Junior
- Certificate of Participation
- Click here for more details
- Adjunct Participant: ages 16 to 26 (as of August 1, 2026)
Adjunct Participants attend the festival for one week, either August 2-9 or August 10-16. A limited number of Adjunct Participants are selected through an application process.
Adjunct participants under 18 years may attend the festival without a guardian with signed permission.
Adjunct program highlights:
- Two lessons with TJPF faculty
- One performance in an Emerging Artist Recital
- Chamber Music readings
- Shared practice room
- Certificate of Participation
- Click here for more details
- Teacher Auditor: (minimum age is 18 years old as of August 1, 2026)
The Teacher Auditor program is developed for piano teachers.The Teacher Auditor program is designed as a one-week program with an option to attend for the second week.
The Teacher Auditor program is co-developed with Tianjin Juilliard’s Continuing Education department.
Teacher Auditor program highlights:
- Daily professional development courses and workshops specially curated for professional or aspiring piano teachers.
- Attend all public events during the week they attend, including all guest artist recitals, master classes, Emerging Artist Recitals, lectures, the concerto competition, and chamber music concert. Teacher Auditors may not observe private lessons.
- Certificate of Participation
- Click here for more details
- Auditor: (minimum age is 8 years old as of August 1, 2026)
Auditors are observers to the festival’s many activities and may register for the 1st week (August 2-8), 2nd week (August 9-16), or the full festival (August 2-16).
Auditors under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult guardian who must register as an Auditor.
Auditor program highlights:
- Attend all public events during the week they attend, including all guest artist recitals, master classes, Emerging Artist Recitals, lectures, the concerto competition, and chamber music concert. Auditors may not observe private lessons.
Artists
TEACHING ARTISTS
- Ning An, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, Singapore
- Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Paris Conservatoire, France
- Ching-Wen Hsiao, The Tianjin Juilliard School, China
- Jin Ju, Central Conservatory of Music, China
- Yoheved Kaplinsky, The Juilliard School, USA
- Daejin Kim, Korean National University of the Arts, South Korea
- Soyeon Kate Lee, The Juilliard School, USA
- Katyrzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Academy of Music Gdańsk, Poland, Academy of Music Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Kathryn Stott, Royal Northern College of Music, UK
- Xiaohan Wang, The Tianjin Juilliard School, China
Tuition and Fees
| Performing Participants | |
| Application fee | 700 RMB (100 USD) |
| Tuition fee | |
| Young Artist | Young Artists attend the festival tuition-free, and receive up to a 10,000 RMB ($1,500 USD) international travel stipend. |
| Junior | 40,000 RMB ($5,700 USD). Scholarship available for select Juniors. |
| Adjunct Participant | 15,000 RMB ($2,150 USD) |
| Auditors | |
| Application fee | 200 RMB (30 USD) |
| Tuition Fee | |
| Auditor (one week) | 3500 RMB ($500 USD) |
| Auditor (two weeks) | 6500 RMB ($925 USD) |
| Teacher Auditor (one week) | 7250 RMB ($1050 USD) |
*Please note, Guardian Auditor is exclusive to Young Artist, Junior and Adjunct participants who are under 18 years old.
Application Timeline
| Young Artist, Junior, and Adjunct Applications | Open: January 8, 2026 Deadline: March 5, 2026 |
| Audition Results Posted | March 20, 2026 |
| Response Due Back from Students | April 3, 2026 |
| Auditor and Teacher Auditors Applications | Open: April 15, 2026 Deadline: June 1, 2026 |
Any questions about the performing participants can be sent to tjpf.admissions@tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn
Any questions about the Auditor program can be sent to tjpf.auditors@tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn
Additional Information
- Once the application is successfully submitted, the application fee is non-refundable.
- The tuition does not include travel, housing, and meals which are the responsibility of each participant. A list of local hotels will be shared with accepted participants.
- International students are welcome to apply. Please note, Tianjin Juilliard cannot assist in acquiring visas for Piano Festival participants.
