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.

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 2027 summer tour. Young Artist participants will have the opportunity to read chamber music with a professional string quartet. Young Artists receive a certificate of participation.

Young Artists under 18 years may attend the festival without a guardian with signed permission.

• Junior: ages 8 to 15 (as of August 1, 2026)  

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 Chamber Orchestra 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, 2026)  

A limited number of Adjunct Participants are selected through an application process. Adjunct Participants attend the festival for one week, either August 2-9 or August 10-16, 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 may attend the festival without a guardian with signed permission.

• Auditor: ages 8 and above (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 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 concerts. 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  

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 division.

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  

*Please note, Guardian Auditor is exclusive to Young Artist, Junior and Adjunct participants who are under 18 years old. 

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  

• 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.