The Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition 2015 reaches the finals.

Piano competition plays on to next stage

The artistic director of the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, Frank Wibaut, has announced more exciting and ambitious plans for the expansion of what is already one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the UK.

Next year’s competition will for the first time culminate in a two-day final, with six finalists competing for the coveted first prize rather than the three finalists that there have been in the past. This means that the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will now perform for two consecutive nights at the White Rock Theatre in Hastings.

This very exciting development for the competition provides for the showcasing of an even greater number of young talents from around the world. It doubles the opportunity for contestants to play with a first-class orchestra.

Up to 48 contestants will be invited to come to Hastings to play excerpts from their chosen concerto in front of an  international jury.  Twenty four will go forward to Stage 2, when they will play a movement of both a Beethoven and a Mozart concerto. Twelve will then play a programme of their own choice in the semi-final, with six being chosen for the new two-day final. This means more contestants will have the chance to progress into the later stages of the competition.

HIPCC Finals Saturday 7 March 2015 Winner, Alexander Panfilov (Russia) Photo 2015 (c) John Cole www.johncole.co.uk

There will also be changes to the way contestants are selected to come to Hastings. In addition to contestants applying via video recording as they have done before, for next year live auditions will run in four centres in UK, Germany, Japan and North America. This will significantly improve awareness of the competition and can attract even more of the best young pianists from around the world. The competition already attracts young concert pianists from over 30 different countries.

There are also plans to commission a compulsory new work.  Next year all successful entrants will be required to stay in Hastings for the duration of the competition and there will be a bigger international jury.

The winner of this year’s competition, Alexander Panfilov, will be giving a summer recital in the Recital Room at Fairlight Hall, just outside Hastings, on Sunday 5 July at 5pm. The programme will include Mozart, Chopin, Debussy and Mussorgsky. Tickets available online or at Hastings Tourist Information Centre, Aquila House, 01424 451111.

And on Thursday 23 July at 1.10pm Alexander Panfilov plays Debussy’s Estampes, Albeniz’ Evocación from Iberia and Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B♭ major, Op. 83 at the Alfriston Summer Music Festival.

Dates for Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition 2016:
Thurs 25, Fri 26 and Sat 27 Feb – Stage 1
Mon 29 Feb-Tues 1 March – Stage 2
Weds 2 March  – Semi-final
Thurs 3 March – Masterclass
Fri 4-Sat 5 March – Final
All stages will take place at the White Rock Theatre in Hastings.

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