501(C)(3) Charitable Non-Profit Organization
2026 Pacific Stars International Piano Competition Winners Announced！
Festival Series Requirements
Recognized by the Alink-Argerich Foundation since 2022, the competition has attracted talented young pianists from leading institutions, including The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, and major conservatories throughout Asia, Europe, and North America.
Beginning in 2027, Pacific Stars proudly introduces the Festival Series, a new artistic initiative created alongside the Main Competition. While the Main Competition follows traditional age divisions with Regional Rounds leading to the Final Round, the Festival Series offers specialized performance categories designed to celebrate stylistic interpretation, collaborative performance, and concerto repertoire.
Unlike the Main Competition, all Festival Series categories are presented in a single-round format, with Festival Awards announced following the conclusion of each Festival session.
See Important Dates for detailed schedules
Festival Categories
Period Festivals
Baroque & Classical Festival
Featured Composers
Bach · Handel · Scarlatti · Haydn · Mozart · Beethoven · Clementi · Schubert
Other composers from the Baroque and Classical periods are also welcome
1-2 Free Selection
Maximum Performance Time: 6 Minutes
Romantic Festival
Featured Composers
Chopin · Liszt · Schumann · Brahms · Mendelssohn · Tchaikovsky · Rachmaninoff · Grieg
Other composers from the Romantic period are also welcome
1-2 Free Selection
Maximum Performance Time: 6 Minutes
Impressionistic & Contemporary Festival
Featured Composers
Debussy · Ravel · Prokofiev · Bartók · Kabalevsky · Jazz · Contemporary Composers
Other composers from the Impressionistic and Contemporary periods are also welcome
1-2 Free Selection
Maximum Performance Time: 6 Minutes
Chamber Festival
-
The festival division is determined by the average age of the ensemble members.
Eligible Ensembles
Piano Duet (Four Hands) · Violin & Piano · Cello & Piano ·
Woodwind & Piano · Brass & Piano · Piano Trio
At least one piano must be included in the ensemble
Junior Chamber Festival
Average Age 12 and Under
1-2 Free Selection
Maximum Performance Time: 6 Minutes
Young Artist Chamber Festival
Average Age 13–15
1-2 Free Selection
Maximum Performance Time: 7 Minutes
Artist Chamber Festival
Average Age 16 and above
1-2 Free Selection
Maximum Performance Time: 8 Minutes
Concerto Festival
All performances must be presented with second piano accompaniment.
Participants are required to perform one movement of a concerto.
The Concerto Festival is offered exclusively at the Los Angeles and San Francisco Regional Festivals.
Junior Concerto Festival
Age 12 and Under
One movement of Concerto · Performance Time
8 Minutes Maximum
Young Artist Concerto Festival
Age 13–15
One movement of Concerto· Performance Time
9 Minutes Maximum
Artist Concerto Festival
Age 16 and above
One movement of Concerto · Performance Time
10 Minutes Maximum
Registration Fee
Early Bird Application (January 1 – March 15)
Period Festivals: $160 (non-refundable)
Concerto Festival: $185 (non-refundable)
Chamber Music Festival: $210 per ensemble (non-refundable)
Regular Application (March 16 – May 15)
Period Festivals: $180 (non-refundable)
Concerto Festival: $205 (non-refundable)
Chamber Music Festival: $230 per ensemble (non-refundable)