The Tianjin Juilliard Piano Festival 2025 welcomes applications for performing participants, auditors, or as part of the Teacher Training Program.

• Young Artist: ages 16 to 26 (as of August 1, 2025)  

12 Young Artist participants are selected through an application process, attend the piano festival tuition-free, and receive a travel stipend.

Each Young Artist receives four (4) one-hour private lessons, one opportunity to play in a master class, and two opportunities to perform in an Emerging Artist Recital. All Young Artists have the option to compete in the festival’s concerto competition. Select winners will be granted solo opportunities with professional orchestras, including the Asian Youth Orchestra for their 2026 summer tour. New in 2025, Young Artist participants will have the opportunity to read chamber music with the Shanghai Quartet. Young Artists receive a certificate of participation.

Young Artists under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult guardian throughout the festival.

• Junior: ages 8 to 15 (as of August 1, 2025)  

Up to 36 Junior participants are selected through an application process. Each Junior receives four (4) one-hour private lessons, one opportunity to play in a master class, and one performance in an Emerging Artist Recital.  All Junior participants have the unique opportunity to collaborate with the QingXin Ensemble and a conductor, rehearsing one movement of a concerto. Up to six (6) Juniors will be chosen to perform a movement of their concerto in a special concert. Juniors receive a certificate of participation.

All Juniors must be accompanied by an adult guardian throughout the festival.

• Adjunct Participant: ages 16 to 26 (as of August 1, 2025)  

A limited number of Adjunct Participants are selected through an application process. Adjunct Participants attend the festival for one week, either August 3-10 or August 11-17, and receive two (2) one-hour private lessons, one performance opportunity, and observe all events during their week of participation. Adjunct Participants receive a certificate of participation.

Adjunct participants under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult guardian throughout the festival.

• Auditor: ages 8 and above (as of August 1, 2025)  

Auditors are observers to the festival’s many activities and may register for the 1st week (August 3-10), 2nd week (August 11-17), or the full festival (August 3-17). Auditors 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.  

Auditors under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult guardian who must register as an Auditor.

• Teacher Auditor Program  

New in 2025, the Teacher Auditor program is developed for piano teachers. In addition to observing the festival’s activities (see “Auditor”), Teacher Auditors attend professional development courses and workshops specially curated for professional piano teachers. The Teacher Auditor program is designed as a one-week program with an option to attend for the second week. Teacher Auditors receive a certificate of participation.

The Teacher Auditor program is co-developed with Tianjin Juilliard’s Continuing Education department. 

The festival presents distinguished teaching and performing artists hailing from the finest conservatories and schools of music from around the world. 

TEACHING ARTISTS

Michael Berkovsky, Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada

Yoheved Kaplinsky, The Juilliard School, USA

Katyrzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Academy of Music Gdańsk, Poland, Academy of Music Bydgoszcz, Poland  

Boris Slutsky, Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, USA

Minsoo Sohn, New England Conservatory, USA

Andrew Tyson, The Tianjin Juilliard School, China

Arie Vardi, Hochschule für Music, Theater und Medien Hannover, Germany; Bachmann-Mehta School of Music, Israel

Xiaohan Wang, The Tianjin Juilliard School, China  

Others to be announced. 

PERFORMING ARTISTS  

The festival is honored to present the following distinguished artists as our guest performers:    

Shanghai Quartet

QingXin Ensemble

Others to be announced 

Any questions about the application process can be sent to tjpf.admissions@tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn  

Any questions about the application process can be sent to tjpf.auditors@tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn