The Tianjin Juilliard Piano Festival 2023 is open to Auditor applicants of all nationalities. The application for Young Artist and Junior is closed.

• Young Artist: age 7 to 28

24 Young Artist participants will be selected through the application process. Each Young Artist receives six (6) one-hour private lessons, one opportunity to play in a master class and two opportunities to play in a recital. All Young Artists will compete in the festival’s concerto competition, and six winners will be selected to perform a full concerto with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jiajing Lai.

Young Artist under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult guardian throughout the festival. Guardians must purchase a special discount "guardian pass.” Please refer to the application below. 

• Junior: age 7 to 18 

Up to 48 Junior participants will be selected through the application process. Each Junior receives three (3) one-hour private lessons, one opportunity to perform in a recital, and one concerto rehearsal with the school's affiliated ensemble, QingXin Ensemble, conducted by Jiajing Lai, playing one movement of a concerto. Up to 24 selected Juniors will have an opportunity to play in a master class. 

All Juniors must be accompanied by an adult guardian throughout the festival. Guardians must purchase a special discount "guardian pass.” Please refer to the application below. 

• Auditor: must be age 7 or older 

Application Deadline: July 20, 2023

Auditors receive a festival pass, which includes entry to all open events: guest artist recitals, master classes, participant recitals, lectures, the concerto competition and concerto concerts. The festival pass does not include private lessons or the final gala concert.

Auditors under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult guardian throughout the festival. Guardians of Auditors must also register as Auditors. Please refer to the application below. 

• Adjunct Participant: age 7 to 28 

Application Deadline: July 7, 2023

A limited number of Adjunct Participants will be selected through an application process. Adjunct Participants attend the festival for one week, either July 31-August 6 or August 7-13, and receive three (3) one-hour private lessons, one performance opportunity off-campus, and can observe all events during their week of participation.

Adjunct Participants under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult guardian throughout the festival. Guardians must purchase a special discount "Guardian's Pass.” Please refer to the application below.

TEACHING ARTISTS 

Sofya Gulyak, Royal College of Music, UK 
Yoheved Kaplinsky, The Juilliard School, USA 
Gabriel Kwok, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong, China 
Jinsang Lee, Korea National University of Arts, Korea 
Yong Hi Moon, The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, USA 
Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Academy of Music Gdańsk, Poland, Academy of Music Bydgoszcz, Poland 
Dan Shao, Central Conservatory of Music, China 
Wojciech Świtała, Academy of Music Katowice, Poland
Albert Tiu, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, Singapore 
Arie Vardi, Hochschule für Music, Theater und Medien Hannover, Germany; Bachmann-Mehta School of Music, Israel
Xiaohan Wang, The Tianjin Juilliard School, China
Yunlin Yang, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, China

PERFORMING ARTISTS

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

Sa Chen - Laureate, 2000 International Chopin Piano Competition 
Sofya Gulyak - Laureate, 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition
Andrew Tyson, The Tianjin Juilliard School, China
Alvin Zhu, The Tianjin Juilliard School, China

CONCERTOS

One of the festival's biggest highlights includes an exclusive opportunity for all of the performing participants to collaborate with a conductor and an orchestra. 

Each Young Artist has the opportunity to choose to participate in the concerto competition, accompanied by a second piano. Prior to the competition, two rehearsals with a second piano will be arranged. Six winners will then be selected and will have the privilege to perform a full concerto with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiajing Lai. Concerto participation is optional.

Each Junior participant has the opportunity to have one rehearsal with the QingXin Ensemble, conducted by Jiajing Lai, playing one movement of a concerto. Prior to their collaboration with the ensemble, a rehearsal with a second piano will be arranged. Concerto participation is optional.

The festival will provide accompanists (2nd piano) for rehearsals and competition. 

Concerto Repertoire

MASTER CLASSES

Young Artist: Each Young Artist participant will have an opportunity to play in a master class. Each master class is two hours long and facilitates three participants.

Junior: Only selected Junior participants will have an opportunity to play in a master class. Each master class is two hours long and facilitates six participants.

All pieces must be played from memory. These master classes are open to the public.

The festival committee is responsible for the allocation of these master classes, and their decision is final. 
 

PRIVATE LESSONS

Young Artist: Each Young Artist participant will receive six (6) one-hour private lessons. Free repertoire. 

Junior: Each Junior participant will receive three (3) one-hour private lessons. Free repertoire. 

The festival committee is responsible for the allocation of these lessons, and their decision is final.

Additional lessons: Participants may request additional lessons with any guest artist of their choice. The lesson fee is 3000 RMB per hour. These requests must be communicated to the festival committee in writing via email. Please note that although the festival will try its best to honor these requests, no guarantee can be made. 

PARTICIPANT RECITALS

There are 12 participant recitals throughout the festival. They are open to the public. Each Young Artist will be scheduled to play in two recitals, and each Junior will be scheduled to play in one recital. 

All pieces must be played from memory.

The festival committee is responsible for the scheduling of these recitals, and their decision is final. 

LECTURES

The festival will present three wonderful and highly informative lectures: "Life at The Juilliard School - What Makes it Special" by Yoheved Kaplinsky, “Playing with Orchestra - the Schumann Piano Concerto” by Arie Vardi and Xiaohan Wang, and “My Piano Compositions” by acclaimed composer, Ping Gao.

PRACTICE FACILITIES 

Scheduled practice time is arranged for each performing participant in practice rooms equipped with Steinway grand pianos. The Tianjin Juilliard School is open from 8am to midnight throughout the Festival. 
 

Please click here to read the festival schedule.

PROGRAM FEE

¹ All 24 Young Artists will receive 50% scholarship towards their program fee, so their final payment will be 19,250 RMB (USD 2,850).

² Scholarship is not available for Junior participants.

Auditor: Auditors receive a festival pass which enables entry to all open events within the period indicated on their pass, excluding private lessons and the final gala concert.

Adjunct Participant: Adjuncts receive 3 lessons, can observe all events during their week, and get 1 off-campus performance.

Guardian's Pass: Guardians of Young Artists, Junior, Adjunct participants must purchase this pass, which is 1,200 RMB (USD 180).

Single Ticket: Single tickets to all open events will be made available to the public at a later date.

MEDIA PACKAGE 
The media package of each individual Young Artist and Junior participant will be available for purchase. Each personalized package includes videos of their own performances in master classes, recitals, concerto rehearsals, the concerto competition, and concerto concert, together with official photos. Please check back on this page for more details. 
 

All fees are payable in RMB or USD. No other currencies are accepted.

ACCOMMODATION 
The program fee does not include travel or room and board. All participants are responsible for their own transportation and living arrangements. A list of local hotels will be listed on this page at a later time.

Founders: The Tianjin Juilliard School; Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area Administrative Commission

Organizer: The Tianjin Juilliard School

Philanthropic Supporting Organization: Tianjin Juilliard School Education Development Foundation

China-US Joint-Venture Education Partner: Tianjin Conservatory of Music

Collaborating Ensembles and Organization: Suzhou Symphony Orchestra; QingXin Ensemble

Piano Partner: Steinway Piano Asia Pacific Co., Ltd.

Performance Venue Partner: Anglican Art Centre

Hotel Partners: The Ritz-Carlton Tianjin, Intercontinental Tianjin Yujiapu Hotels & Residences