Naumburg International Piano Competition

The Naumburg International Piano Competition is the name given to all the piano competitions sponsored by the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation. It is a competition for young pianists, of ages 17 to 32, organized in New York City, United States since 1926. It is one of the oldest music competitions in the world, and it has helped launch the career of some of the 20th century's greatest pianists, such as Jorge Bolet, William Kapell, Abbey Simon, Theodore Lettvin, Constance Keene, Adele Marcus, Kun-Woo Paik, Andre-Michel Schub and Stephen Hough, among many others.

Because of its rich and long history, it is considered one of the most prestigious contests of its kind in the world. It has been described by the New York Times as "in its quiet way, the most prestigious of them all."[1]

The piano competition is dedicated to the ideals set out by Walter Naumburg, as are the other Foundation-sponsored competitions and awards in solo and chamber music performance, composer recordings, conducting and commissions. Naumburg believed that such competitions were not only for the benefit of new stars, but would encourage talented young artists to become prime movers in the development of the highest standards of musical excellence throughout the world. The solo competition disciplines rotate from year to year, encompassing piano, violin, cello and voice. The piano competition is currently held every five years.

The winner usually receives a cash prize, a string of performances, management, a recording contract, and New York City debuts in the city's most important classical music venues. In recent years, the Foundation office has undertaken to manage new winners for two seasons or until a commercial manager emerges to take them on.