Rules & Regulations for the 2025 Competition Rounds
DRAWING
The drawing reception for the First Round will take place at an Albuquerque location to be determined. Performance order will be determined on the evening of Sunday, October 12, 2025. The contestant who draws “Number 1” will perform their solo recital first, followed by the contestant who draws “Number 2,” and so on. This order will be maintained throughout subsequent rounds of the Competition, except for the Final Round; see below. The contestants advancing to the Semifinal Round will perform in ascendant order. For example, if the following contestants advance—Numbers 2, 6, 10—the contestant order of the Semifinal Round would be 2, 6, 10. The Jury has the discretion to change this order due to accident, illness, or other circumstances.
FIRST ROUND
Following the prescreening round, there will be 20 contestants selected to perform in the First Round at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The First Round will consist of a 45-minute recital including the following:
- One Prelude and Fugue by J.S. Bach (chosen from either book of The Well-Tempered Clavier), or two contrasting sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti
- Two contrasting etudes chosen from the following composers:
Frédéric Chopin
Franz Liszt
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Alexander Scriabin
Claude Debussy
Sergei Prokofiev
Karol Szymanowski
György Ligeti
- One sonata by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, or Ludwig van Beethoven
- One short piece by Rachmaninoff chosen from the following:
Transcriptions
Preludes Op. 23 or Op. 32
Pieces Op. 3 or Op. 10
Polka de W.R.
At the end of the First Round on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the Jury will deliberate and choose 8 contestants who will advance to the Second Round. The names of the contestants advanced to the Second Round will be announced the same evening via social media and email
SECOND ROUND
The contestants perform a 60-minute recital at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Recitals are recorded on video and livestreamed on the Competition website.
- Work(s) of contestant’s choice
- Required piece written specifically for the Olga Kern International Piano Competition (5-6 minutes long), sent to contestants two months prior to the Competition
Pianists in this round can choose their performance piano from the two official pianos provided by Steinway & Sons, the Competition sponsor. Each pianist is allotted 15 minutes to perform on the two pianos and make their choice. This process will take place on the evening of Tuesday, October 14 for contestants selected to advance to the Second Round, in the order of the contestants’ numbers. The choice of piano will be carried over to the Semifinal Round. All piano choices are final. No changes are allowed.
At the end of the Second Round on Wednesday, October 15, the Jury will deliberate and choose 5 contestants to advance to the Semifinal Round. The names of the contestants advanced to the Semifinal Round will be announced the same evening at the venue as well as via social media and email.
SEMIFINAL ROUND – CHAMBER MUSIC
Semifinal Round contestants will choose one of the following piano quintets to perform with the Dali Quartet on Friday, October 17, 2025, from 1 p.m.-6 p.m.
Brahms: Piano Quintet in f minor, Op. 34
Dvořák: Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81, B. 155
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44
Franck: Piano Quintet in f minor
At the end of the Semifinal Round on Friday, October 17, the Jury will deliberate and choose 3 contestants to advance to the Final Round. The names of the contestants advanced to the Final Round will be announced the same evening at the venue as well as via social media and email.
FINAL ROUND
The Final Round will take place on Sunday, October 19, 2025, 2 p.m., at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The finalists will perform a concerto with the New Mexico Philharmonic on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. They will participate in two rehearsals prior to the concert as follows: Saturday, October 18, 2025, time to be determined, and Sunday, October 19, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Each contestant will have a pre-rehearsal meeting of approximately 20-30 minutes with the conductor. The numbers of the contestants will be carried over from the Second and Semifinal Rounds. However, the order of the contestants may be changed depending on the repertoire. The order of the contestants will be decided on Friday, October 17, 2025, after the announcement of the advancing contestants. The finalists will be notified that evening.
The piano choice from the Semifinal Round can be carried over for each contestant, but a decision change to use the other piano will be allowed before the first rehearsal with the New Mexico Philharmonic. That choice is final.
At the end of the concert, the Jury will deliberate and announce the winner and subsequent positions of the remaining contestants. The audience will fill out a ballot or vote on the website for the Audience Award.
AWARDS CEREMONY & WINNERS’ RECITAL
The Awards Ceremony and Winners’ Recital will take place on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The performance order and repertoire will be decided on Saturday, October 18. The repertoire choices will be made by Olga Kern as well as members of the Jury and will include works previously performed during the First and Second Rounds of the Competition.
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