Online Division
– Global Access to the 2026 IPPA International Piano Competition
The Online Division
is designed to bring the world’s talent together, offering a gateway for pianists from all nations worldwide to participate in this prestigious international event. The Online Division maintains the same high standards and rigorous evaluation as our in-person tracks, following the standardized rules found on our General Information page.
Preliminary Round: May 10th, 2026
Semifinal Round: May 23rd -31st, 2026
(Live performance on 1on1 Piano )
Final Round: June 20th – 30th, 2026
(Live performance on 1on1 Piano )
- Preliminary Round: Participation is simple and accessible. Like any other division, candidates are required to submit video recordings for evaluation.
- Semifinal Round: This round serves the exact same purpose as our in-person national rounds. It is the qualifying stage where the highest level of talent is identified.
- Final Round: Qualified Gold Winner students from each category in the Online Semifinals earn a unique opportunity. You can choose to:
- Travel to compete in the In-Person Final Round. (July 15th – 17th, 2026)
- Continue your journey within the Online Final Round.(June 20th – 30th, 2026)
Note on Final Rounds: Please be aware that the In-Person and Online Final Rounds feature different judging panels and separate award pools. However, both paths strictly adhere to the same IPPA competition regulations.
Awards
Honor Recital and Award Ceremony: The first and second place winners in all categories will be invited to Recanati, Italy for the Award Ceremony and Honor Recital during the IPPA Conero International Piano Festival ( August 1st to 10th). All participants will receive a digital certificate and detailed comments from the jury. There are no fees to participate in the Honor Recital, but all invited prizewinners must cover their travel and accommodation expenses.
Note: please be aware, all cash prizes for the IPPA Conero Piano Competition will be delivered via check (U.S. only) or bank transfer. PayPal is also available. Prize recipients are responsible for paying any money transfer fees that may be incurred; depending on the transfer method, the amount received may be less than the face value of the prize.
Young Artist Category
1st Place Winner of each group: $500 USD (including $100 cash award and $400 festival scholarship) for ALL IPPA Festival.
2nd Place Winner of each group: $300 USD (including $50 cash award and $250 festival scholarship) for ALL IPPA Festival.
3rd Place Winner of each group: $200 USD festival scholarship for ALL IPPA Festival.
Cash prizes for First Place winners are provided courtesy of 1on1 Piano. (All other awards and scholarships are provided IPPA)
Professional Artist Category
Adult (Group A)
1st Place Winner: $1500 USD (including $300 cash award and $1200 festival scholarship) for ALL IPPA Festival.
2nd Place Winner: $800 USD (including $200 cash award and $600 festival scholarship) for ALL IPPA Festival.
3rd Place Winner: $500 USD (including $100 cash award and $400 festival scholarship) for ALL IPPA Festival.
Youth (Groups B/C)
1st Place Winner: $1000 USD (including $200 cash award and $800 festival scholarship) for ALL IPPA Festival.
2nd Place Winner: $500 USD (including $100 cash award and $400 festival scholarship) for ALL IPPA Festival.
3rd Place Winner: $300 USD (including $50 cash award and $250 festival scholarship) for ALL IPPA Festival.
Cash prizes are provided courtesy of 1on1 Piano. (All other awards and scholarships are provided IPPA)
Chamber Music Category
1st Place Winner of Each group: $100 USD cash prize.
(Cash prizes for ensemble categories are awarded per group and shall be shared among all members.)
Recording Instruction (Preliminary Round)
1. Recording Link: Via the listed flat forms: YouTube/Google Drive/Wetransfer/Dropbox/OneDrive. Please ensure that the link is shareable without requiring access permission. (for google drive, click “Get Link”, change “General Access” to “Anyone with the link”, then click share the link)
2. Your recording should remain unedited, except in cases where professional microphones were used separately from the camera. In such instances, you may synchronize the audio with the video.
3. Please make sure that the recording is landscape and include the whole side profile of the competitor (please see picture below for reference). Once we receive your recording, we will promptly forward it to the jury for evaluation
Using 1on1 Piano for Online Competitions
1on1 Piano is a video calling platform built for piano instruction and performance. It offers high-quality, unfiltered audio default, multiple simultaneous camera views, and supports up to 100 participants per call. The platform is available on all devices and includes piano-to-piano connectivity that brings real-time 2-way video calling to Spirio R and Disklavier users.
Recommended Equipment
• Computers (Mac, PC, Chromebook): Use Chrome, Edge, or Firefox and go to app.1on1piano.com.
• Mobile Devices: Download 1on1 Piano from the App Store or Google Play.
• Microphones: Built-in microphones generally provide good sound. Some Windows users may need an external microphone due to hardware-level voice isolation.
• iOS: For best audio on iOS, switch the microphone mode to “Wide Spectrum” (see graphic instruction).
2024 Online Competition Final Round YouTube Playlists:
Professional Artist Category A
Professional Artist Category B
Professional Artist Category C
Young Artist Category F
Young Artist Category E
Young Artist Category D
Young Artist Category C
Young Artist Category B
Young Artist Category A
Chamber Music Category