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- Concert Pianist

Category
Concert Pianist
Up to 70 candidates from all over the world and 8 finalists. Three days of public auditions, including a final, before an international jury selected by the pianist Anne Queffélec.
Coming from abroad?
Visa, host families, practice pianos: everything is on one page.
International candidates
You will play a Shigeru Kawai piano
An SK-EX concert grand, provided by Kawai France.
Discover the pianoProgramme
Performance time15 min, then 45 min in the final
Qualifying round · 15 minutes maximum
- one etude (except Debussy)
- a sonata movement by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert (which may be played again in the final)
- a work by a French composer from the 19th century to the present day
Final · 45 minutes maximum
- a free programme of no more than 4 works, from different periods and styles
- works from the qualifying round may not be played again, except the Classical sonata in its entirety
The 8 finalists are announced on Friday evening.
Accepted contemporary composers
Adès, Anderson, André, Bacri, Barber, Beffa, Benjamin, Berio, Birtwistle, Boucourechliev, Boulez, Bussoti, Cage, Campo, Carter, Castérède, Castiglioni, Chen, Chin, Copland, Crumb, Denisov, Donatoni, Dusapin, Dutilleux, Eötvös, Escaich, Fedele, Filidei, Françaix, Francesconi, Fujikura, Gagneux, Gaussin, Gervasoni, Ginastera, Glass, Goubaïdoulina, Hersant, Höller, Holliger, Holt, Hosokawa, Jervik, Jolas, Jolivet, Kapustin, Knussen, Kröll, Kurtág, Kyburz, Ligeti, Lindberg, Lutoslawski, Magin, Mantovani, Messiaen, Murail, Neuburger, Nicolau, Ohana, de Pablo, Pärt, Pauset, Penderecki, Saariaho, Sancan, Saunders, Say, Sciarrino, Silvestrov, Stockhausen, Stroppa, Suckling, Takemitsu, Tanguy, Vachi, Vine , Volkonski, Xenakis, Zimmermann.
Provisional schedule
- Wed 9 June · 16:30Draw for the order of performance (attendance compulsory)
- Thu 10 June · 09:00–21:00Qualifying auditions Concert Pianist, day 1
- Fri 11 June · 09:00–18:00Qualifying auditions Concert Pianist, day 2
- Sat 12 June · 09:30–18:00Concert Pianist final
- Sat 12 June · 19:00Results and prize-giving (finalists in evening dress)
Your exact time will be given in your audition notice.
Prizes
1st Prize
€4,000
7 recitals: La Rochelle (Festival Ondes Classiques), Lourmarin (Fondation Laurent-Vibert), Nohant (Festival Chopin, off-site series), Maisons-Laffitte (opening concert of the following competition), Pamiers (Pro Musica), Tremblay-en-France (L’Odéon), Le Touquet (Festival Pianos Folies).
A residence stay at the Château de Lourmarin (Fondation Laurent-Vibert): one to four weeks, plus a grant of €350 per week.
2nd Prize
€2,000
3rd Prize
€1,000
Special prizes
3 recitals: Lyon (Association Frédéric Chopin), La Frette-sur-Seine (Festival Les Spiriades), Paris (private recital offered by the pianist Jacqueline Bourgès-Maunoury).
2027 jury

Célimène Daudet
France
Biography
Born to a Haitian mother and a French father, Célimène Daudet has forged a distinctive artistic path, guided by a musical curiosity that embraces diverse repertoires, cultures, and the stories that shape them. Renowned for the sensitivity of her playing and the originality of her programmes, she performs on major international stages, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Philharmonie de Paris, and the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. She is a regular guest at numerous festivals, including La Roque d’Anthéron, La Folle Journée de Nantes, the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo, and the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival.
Her critically acclaimed discography reflects the same artistic standards. From major works of the repertoire to rarely recorded pieces, each of her projects explores a distinctive musical world.
Her career is also marked by a strong commitment to new music and the rediscovery of lesser-known repertoires. She recently gave the world premiere of Christian Rivet’s Concerto and the French premiere of Carmen Brouard’s Baron Lacroix Concerto with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
A recipient of the Pro Musicis International Award and named a “Génération Spedidam” Artist, Célimène Daudet is the founder of the Haïti Piano Project. A professor at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris, she is also regularly invited to give masterclasses, notably at Domaine Forget de Charlevoix in Quebec, further pursuing her
commitment to passing on her knowledge and experience to the next generation.

Vincent Coq
France
Biography
Vincent Coq started studying the piano at age 7. Admitted to Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, he won a piano First Prize in 1985, then pursued graduate studies under the guidance of Dominique Merlet.
After winning a First Prize in chamber music in 1984 in Geneviève Joy-Dutilleux’s class, he joined
Jean-Claude Pennetier’s class to perfect his chamber music skills. Vincent Coq then joined master classes taught by Nikita Malagoff, György Sandor and Leon Fleisher. In 1989, he worked under the direction of György Sebök at the Bloomington School of Music.
Vincent Coq founded the Trio Wanderer in 1987 with two other students of the Paris’ Conservatoire.
They studied under the direction of Mehahem Pressler and Amadeus Quartet’s members. In 1988, they won the ARD Competition in Munich and, in 1990, the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the USA.
With Trio Wanderer he has performed on the most prestigious music stages with his ensemble : Berlin’s Philharmonic, Paris’ Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Wiener Musikverein, London’s Wigmore Hall, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica, Washington’s Library of Congress, Rio de Janeiro’s Teatro Municipal, Tokyo’s Kioi Hall, Zürich’s Tonhalle and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. They have also performed at major festivals such as Edinburgh, Montreux, Feldkirch, Schleswig Holstein, Rheingau Musiksommmer, Colmar, La Roque d’Anthéron, Granada, Stresa, Osaka, Salzburg…
He has on many occasions collaborated with artists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Christopher Hogwood, James Loughran, Marco Guidarini, Louis Langrée, Arie van Beeck, François-Xavier Roth, José Areán, Charles Dutoit and James Conlon, accompanied, in triple or double concertos, by orchestras as Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Liège, Santiago de Chile, La Coruna, Teneriffe, by Les Siècles Orchestra, Radio-France’s Orchestre National and Orchestre Philharmonique, Malaysian Philharmonia Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, Berlin’s Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Graz’s Philharmonic Orchester, Geneva Chamber Orchestra, Russia National Philharmonia Orchestra, Köln’s Gürzenich Orchester, Stockholm Chamber Orchestra …
Alongside concerts performed with his ensemble, Vincent Coq has collaborated with numerous artists including Gérard Caussé, Sophie Koch, Martin Fröst, Anne Gastinel, Paul Meyer, François Leleux, Anton Pichler, Emmanuel Pahud, Wolfgang Holzmair, and Ferruccio Furlanetto.
Following two recordings for Sony Classical, Vincent Coq and the Trio Wanderer began their collaboration with Harmonia Mundi in 1999. To date, his discography includes more than thirty recordings. This discography has received numerous awards, including the Choc de l’Année from Le Monde de la Musique, Critics’ Choice from Gramophone, Sterne des Monats from Fono Forum, Diapason d’Or de l’Année, BBC Music Magazine CD of the Month, and the Midem Classical International Music Award.
Particularly interested in contemporary music, Vincent Coq has premiered works by Michèle Reverdy, Thierry Escaich, Bruno Mantovani, Franz-Michael Beyer, Matteo Franceschini, Philippe Hersant, and Christian Rivet. This interest led to two recordings: one focusing on the music of Thierry Escaich in 2008 for Universal, and the other on the chamber music of Bruno Mantovani in 2012 for Mirare.
With his ensemble, Vincent Coq has won three Victoires de la Musique awards as the best chamber music ensemble of the year, in 1997, 2000, and 2009.
Since 2010, Vincent Coq has taught chamber music at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne. Along with his colleagues from the Trio, he also founded a class dedicated to piano trios at the École Normale de Musique – Alfred Cortot, preparing tomorrow’s elite for the challenges of international competitions and careers. He gives masterclasses in Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, and South America. Finally, he is regularly invited to serve as a jury member in prestigious international competitions, including those in Lyon, Graz, Munich, Vercelli, and Osaka.
Vincent Coq is bestowed the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture.

Hideki Nagano
Japan
Biography
Born in Japan, Hidéki Nagano won first prize in the National Music Competition for students at the age of twelve. Following his initial studies in Tokyo, he entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), where he studied piano with Jean-Claude Pennetier and vocal accompaniment with Anne Grappotte. After graduating with first prizes in piano, vocal accompaniment, and chamber music, he distinguished himself as a
laureate and finalist in prestigious international competitions, including the Montreal International Musical Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition.
In 1999, he was awarded the Samson François Prize at the inaugural Orléans International Piano Competition for 20th-century music. His talent has also been widely recognized in Japan, where he received the Muramatsu and Idemitsu awards for young musical talent in 1998, followed by the Chopin Society of Japan Award the following year.
Deeply committed to the creation and promotion of unconventional repertoire, Hidéki Nagano has been a member of the Ensemble Intercontemporain since 1996. He performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe and Japan. He has appeared as a guest soloist with the NHK Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Charles Dutoit, and has performed at major festivals such as the Festival Musica in Strasbourg, the Salzburg Mozartwoche, and the Warsaw Autumn Festival. His solo discography includes works by Antheil, Boulez, Messiaen, Murail, Dutilleux, Prokofiev, and Ravel. He has also recorded several benchmark albums with the Ensemble intercontemporain, including Ligeti’s Piano Concerto (Alpha Classics, 2017) and Une page d’éphéméride, one of Pierre Boulez’s final piano pieces
(Complete Works, Deutsche Grammophon, 2013).

Natacha Kudritskaya
Ukraine
Biography
A pianist with a singular artistic path, Natacha Kudritskaya has developed an approach to the piano in which textual rigour is combined with a deep poetic freedom. From an early age, her trajectory has been woven between Ukraine and France, a country with which she has maintained an intimate bond since childhood. From repeated stays in Burgundy to her years of study at the Paris Conservatoire, France gradually became her adopted homeland.. Now based in Marseille, where she has founded her family, she performs on international stages while maintaining a vital
and deeply rooted connection with Ukraine. Her pianistic training has been shaped by decisive encounters. Alain Planès, her first teacher, instilled in her a taste for elegance and stylistic refinement. Jacques Rouvier deepened her
commitment to textual fidelity and precision of gesture. In Budapest, her meeting with Ferenc Rados opened a new dimension in her work: learning to read between the notes and to understand the invisible architecture of music. Finally, Henri Barda profoundly transformed her relationship with the piano, imposing a radical intensity in the service of what is essential: allowing music to prevail. Natacha Kudritskaya is regularly invited to perform in major concert halls and festivals across France and Europe, including Wigmore Hall in London, the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, the Helsinki Philharmonic Hall, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Kyiv Philharmonic, Flagey in Brussels and the Vienna Konzerthaus.
Her playing, both intense and deeply considered, finds expression in solo recital, chamber music
and performances with orchestra. She collaborates with numerous European orchestras, among them the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra, the Tapiola Sinfonietta, the Oxford Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata RCO and the Orchestre Victor Hugo. More recently, she performed with the Toulon Opera Orchestra, interpreting Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, as well as Mozart’s piano concertos, which she conducts from the keyboard. With the Orchestre National de Cannes, she performed Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Bortkiewicz, contributing to the rediscovery in Europe of the work of this Ukrainian composer.
The French repertoire occupies a central place in her artistic vision. The music of Jean-Philippe Rameau marked a decisive turning point in her approach to the keyboard, nurturing a reflection on sound, time and musical rhetoric.
She devoted two recordings to his work: a first album released in 2009, juxtaposing Rameau’s pieces with those of Luciano Berio, followed by a second recording in 2012 on the 1001 Notes label. In 2015, she signed with Universal Music and released the album Nocturnes on Deutsche Grammophon.
Her discography also includes numerous chamber music projects exploring a wide range of musical worlds, including Enescu’s Sonatas with violinist Daniel Rowland, a programme devoted to French music titled Les Années folles, and Chausson’s Concerto, also with Daniel Rowland. In March 2026, she will release a new album on the 1001 Notes label dedicated to François Couperin, continuing her dialogue with the roots of the French keyboard tradition.
Convinced that transmission lies at the heart of the musician’s vocation, Natacha Kudritskaya places great importance on teaching and is regularly invited to give masterclasses in France and abroad.
She is also the initiator of the project Music Chain For Ukraine, which aims to support Ukrainian musicians through the organisation of solidarity concerts across Europe. Natacha carries the project’s vision and serves as its artistic director.
Rules
- Open to pianists of all nationalities aged 32 and under, the competition is intended for young artists pursuing a professional career. Candidates are selected through an application-based process. Up to 70 pianists from around the world take part, with 8 finalists in recital-style final round.
- Works are played from memory, except contemporary pieces.
- The draw for the order of performance is compulsory: a candidate who is absent is eliminated.
- Finalists attend the prize-giving in evening dress.
- Registration is free for candidates of Ukrainian nationality.
- Dates and times of the rounds are subject to change.
Download the full rules (PDF) Candidates’ frequently asked questions
Staying with a host family
Do you live far from Maisons-Laffitte? Candidates aged 15 and over can be hosted free of charge by a host family, subject to availability: bed and breakfast, from the day before their round to the day after the results.
Requests can only be made at registration, on the registration platform, and not on this site.