Artcial Music Foundation

2026 Bay PianoFest &
San Francisco International Piano Competition

A world-class summer festival and international competition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music—intensive study, inspiring performance opportunities, and a vibrant global community.

Applications for the 2026 Bay PianoFest and
the 2026 San Francisco International Piano Competition are now open!

2026 Bay PianoFest & San Francisco International Piano Competition
@SFCM, CA, USA

Applications for the 2026 Bay PianoFest and 2026 San Francisco International Piano Competition are currently open

Bay PianoFest and the San Francisco International Piano Competition (SFIPC) are initiatives of Artcial Music Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to artistic excellence and expanding access to high-level music education.

Hosted at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), our programs connect students with distinguished faculty from leading institutions, while fostering an international artistic community rooted in excellence, curiosity, and growth. We support young pianists at every stage.

Key Dates:
Bay PianoFest: Application Deadline: March 15th, 2026 · Festival Date: August 3-13, 2026

SFIPC: Application Deadline: April 20th, 2026 · Competition Final Round: August 6-7, 2026

Join us in San Francisco this summer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Welcome to the Bay PianoFest 2026!

Why Bay PianoFest? 

  • 14 World Distinguished Artists 
  • Private Lessons
  • Daily Masterclasses
  • Artists Faculty Concerts
  • Special Topic Lectures
  • Faculty Workshops
  • Piano Performance Forum
  • Young Artist Series
2026 Bay PianoFest Info
2025 Bay PianoFest Program Booklet Review

2026 San Francisco International Piano Competition

The 2026 SFIPC welcomes talented pianists of all ages from around the world. Held at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the competition is recognized for its high artistic standards and its dedication to elevating exceptional young musicians on the international stage.

Renowned as a platform for artistic discovery, SFIPC offers participants the opportunity to share their artistry with a global audience, receive feedback from distinguished jurors, and build meaningful connections within the music community. Winners will receive over $10,000 in cash prizes, scholarships to the 2027 Bay PianoFest, and a recital tour in San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2027.

The 2026 edition will feature Artists (Age 18-35), Young Artists (Age 12-17), and Rising Talented (Age 4-18) categories from May to August. The preliminary round will be conducted through submitted performance videos, and finalists will be selected to perform live before the jury at Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall on August 6–7, 2026.

Applications are currently open, and all materials must be submitted by April 20th, 2026.

Award ceremony at a piano recital with people seated on stage, holding certificates, and an audience in the foreground.

Rising Talents (Age 4-18)

Participants in the Rising Talent Division are assigned to categories according to their age, from Rising Star I (Age 5 & under) through Adult (Age 19+).

Preliminary Round (Video Recording/Live) 

  • Free Choice of Repertoire-category time limit

Final Round (Live Performance in San Francisco)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire-category time limit

Category：

  • Rising Star I (Age 5 & under) — Max. 4 mins

  • Rising Star II (Age 6–7) — Max. 5 mins

  • Youth I (Age 8–9) — Max. 6 mins

  • Youth II (Age 10–11) — Max. 7 mins

  • Junior I (Age 12–13) — Max. 8 mins

  • Junior II (Age 14–15) — Max. 8 mins

  • Senior (Age 16–18) — Max. 10 mins

  • Adult (Age 19+) — Max. 10 mins

Rising Talents Information
Apply by April 20th, 2026

NEW: Young Artists (Age 12-17)

Applicants for this competition category must be at least 12 years old and no older than 17. Age is determined by your age on August 7th, 2026.

Preliminary Round

(Video Recording of 15-20 minutes) 

  • One Virtuosic Etude

  • One Movement of a Classical Sonata (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire 

Final Round

(Live Performance of 25-30 minutes in San Francisco)

  • One movement of a classical sonata (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire

Young Artists Information
Apply by April 20th, 2026

Artists (Age 18-35)

Applicants for this competition category must be at least 18 years old and no older than 35. Age is determined by your age on August 7th, 2026

Preliminary Round

(Video Recording of 20-25 minutes) 

  • One Virtuosic Etude

  • One Movement of a Classical Sonata (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire 

Final Round

(Live Performance of 35-40 minutes in San Francisco)

  • One movement of a classical sonata (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert)

  • Free Choice of Repertoire

Artists Information
Apply by April 20, 2026

Support the Next Generation

Your gift directly supports scholarships, prizes, and performance opportunities.

Donate
  • Group of young students and adults on stage at the San Francisco International Piano Competition, receiving awards, certificates, and medals during the ceremony. The background features the event's signage and a grand piano.

  • A panel of five people sitting on chairs on a stage with a grand piano behind them, facing an audience in a concert hall.

  • A man playing a grand piano on a stage with large windows in the background, overlooking a city skyline, and an audience watching.

  • People sitting in a row at an awards ceremony with glass trophies and medals on a table in front of them.

  • An elderly man with white hair and glasses, wearing a brown pinstripe suit, walking past a group of children in a music performance setting inside a modern building with large windows, a grand piano, and chairs.

  • A diverse group of people seated in a modern, well-lit room, some smiling and laughing, during a meeting or presentation.

  • An audience listening to a musical performance in a modern concert hall with large glass windows, a grand piano, and a wooden ceiling with stage lighting.

  • A woman and a young girl are sitting at a grand piano on a wooden stage, engaged in a lesson or performance. The woman is explaining or demonstrating something, and the girl is listening attentively.

  • A young woman sitting at a black Steinway & Sons grand piano, with an older man with dreadlocks standing next to her, gesturing with his hand, in a room with large windows and a banner reading 'Bay PianoFest'.