Peter Toperczer International Piano Competition

XIX. edition of International Piano Competition of Peter Toperczer

We are delighted to announce that XIX. edition of the International Piano Competition of Peter Toperczer will take place in Košice, Slovakia, between 15 and 18 April 2027.

For more than three decades the competition, which is a member of EMCY (European Union of Music Competitions for Youth), has created space and opportunities for presentation of young talented pianists from both Slovakia and abroad. In 2027 we will once again welcome to Košice young interpreters, pedagogues and lovers of piano art.

At present, preparations and arrangements of the competition are being made. Detailed information about conditions of participation, categories, registration and the accompanying programme can be found here.

We look forward to meeting you in Košice at XIX. edition of the International Piano Competition of Peter Toperczer.

The International Piano Competition of Peter Toperczer (hereinafter as IPC) is a prestigious event which enables students to display their musical talent, artistic and interpretation skills as well as emotional perception. It provides an opportunity for comparison of results, communication of people with different social and cultural identity, exchange of experience among students, pedagogues and professionals. This competition strives to create room for mutual inspiration and sharing knowledge in the field of piano art. It represents the platformfor support and development of artistic potential and sound competitiveness.

I. edition of the International Piano Competition in Košice took place in 1993 and it was immediately met with very positive response. The project author was a teacher at Mária Hemerková Elementary School of Arts in Košice, Judita Barthová.

Until its V. edition the competition was held annually; after that the organisation committee decided to change for a biennial cycle. It is the first international piano competition for kids and young people under 15 years of age (since its XIII. edition it is under 17 years of age) in Slovakia. Until now the competition has been attended by contestants, pedagogues and members of jury from England, Armenia, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czechia, China, Estonia, France, Georgia, Iran, Croatia, South Korea, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Italy, Turkey and Ukraine. The international jury has consisted of members from Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Japan, USA, Brazil, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

The competition is organised in two rounds, four age categories ranging from the youngest 6-year-old to the oldest 17-year-old contestants. The contestants´ mastery is judged by a 5-member panel of jurors featuring renowned international figures of the piano interpretation art. Since its beginning the artistic director of IPC was professor Peter Toperczer, Dr. h. c., rector of The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, a native of Košice. In 2011, after his sudden death, the role assumed by a superb music composer, pianist and conductor Peter Breiner and starting with the XIII. edition of the competition the title of a specialist guarantor and artistic director of IPC was awarded to the son of professor Toperczer, Peter Toperczer jr. The competition changed its name to the International Piano Competition of Peter Toperczer (hereinafter as IPCPT), later it was professor MgA. Alena Vlasáková, pedagogue at the Department of piano interpretation at Faculty of Music of Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno and Music and Dance Faculty in Prague. At present the title has been with professor MgA. Jan Jiraský, Ph.D., head of department of piano interpretation and chairperson of the academic senate of Music Faculty at Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. Since the beginning directors of the competition were Katarína Reuterová, Magdaléna Rokická, Jana Fričová and currently it is Anna Žitvová.

IPCPT is also supported by management of the Košice city and awards to the competition winners in former editions were also given by presidents of Slovakia Rudolf Schuster and Ivan Gašparovič. In 1998 the competition was accepted as a regular member of the international competition EMCY (European Union of Music Competitions for Youth) as the very first in Slovakia, which substantially enhanced its status on an international scale. EMCY supports these competitions with the help and support of UNESCO. Slovak Radio and Television has been the primary media partner of the competition since its beginning. The competition objective is to support talented kids and young people with their presentation on prestigious concert stages. Each edition of the competition is also accompanied by concerts of former winners at IPCPT. On these special occasions it is possible to further observe their artistic growth.

The highlight and climax of each IPCPT is the final „Concert of winners" with the award-giving ceremony at Palace of Art. The International Piano Competition of Peter Toperczer enjoys particularly positive acclaim from the wide public as well as within specialist circles, it puts our city and Slovakia on the map, and to all involved individuals it brings huge artistic potential, mutual contacts and friendships. It is rightly ranked among most prominent competitions in Slovakia.