A CHARITY DEDICATED TO THE APPRECIATION AND STUDY OF THE LIFE AND WORKS OF LISZT, AND THE PERFORMANCE, PUBLICATION AND RECORDING OF HIS MUSIC.
THE LISZT SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION 2025
Open to pianists of all ages and nationalities
Competition rules:
The closing date for entries is Friday 26th September 2025. The finalists will be announced on Monday 6th October 2025.
Candidates must submit YouTube links to live performances of a free choice of works by Liszt (including any original compositions, transcriptions, fantasies or paraphrases) with a maximum overall duration of 30 minutes. Any sound-only recording must be an attested genuine recording made by the entrant. Each work/movement must be presented in a single unedited take.
Up to five candidates will be chosen to compete in the final in London at St. Mary’s, Perivale, UB6 8SS, on the afternoon of Saturday 22nd November 2025. All finalists must be able to be present at that venue by 2pm on that date. (The Liszt Society cannot provide travel or accommodation expenses.) Finalists will prepare a programme of Liszt’s music of about 20-25 minutes, which may include any of the works on their previously-submitted recordings. Imaginative and enterprising repertoire choice and programming will be taken into account by the jury, both in the selection of finalists and the in making of the awards.
All finalists should understand that the competition will be audio/video recorded, and that performances from the final may be posted on the Liszt Society website and similar online platforms. By agreeing to participate in the final, all finalists consent to their performances being recorded and uploaded.
Jury: The 2025 jury members will be announced on the Liszt Society website as soon as all jurors are confirmed. www.lisztsoc.org.uk The jury’s decisions shall be final.
Prizes: There are cash prizes of £500, £250 and £100 for the first, second and third prizewinners, by the kind gift of the Ernest, Ellen and Michael E Corby Foundation. The first prizewinner will be invited to perform a well-remunerated recital at the 2026 Liszt Society Annual Day under the joint aegis of the Liszt Society and the Keyboard Charitable Trust (who will also treat the winner – if aged under 28 – as having passed the KCT audition and therefore already eligible for KCT engagements).
All finalists will receive free membership of the Liszt Society for 2026 (and they will receive copies of the Liszt Society Journals/Music Sections for 2025 and 2026).
Applications: Prospective entrants should apply by email including a copy of the photo page of a valid passport, or stating their full name, nationality, and date of birth. YouTube links to their performances should be listed with the application. Full written details of the recorded works, as well as the proposed repertoire if the entrant is selected for the final, should be provided. Applications should be sent to the following address: competition@lisztsoc.org.uk. The application fee of £25.00 should be sent to the Liszt Society by bank transfer, with the reference ‘2025Competition’ plus the candidate’s name.:
BACS (within UK): pay to The Liszt Society account number 61369514, sort code 05-04-70
IBAN (outside the UK): pay to The Liszt Society account GB49YORK05047061369514
THE LISZT SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION - PAST PRIZEWINNERS
2013 Stefano Severini (1) Jens-Hagen Wegner (2)
2014 Darío Llanos Javierre (1) Jens-Hagen Wegner (2)
2015 Yuanfan Yang (1) Bocheng Wang (=2) Konstantinos Destounis (=2)
2016 Tyler Hay (1) Edward Leung (2)
2017 Keishi Suzuki (1) Luca Monachino (2)
2018 Corbyn Beisner (1) Phillip Leslie (2) Stephen Gott (3)
2019 Minkyu Kim (1) Conor Fogel (=2) Connor Heraghty (=2) Mario Cuva (Very Highly Commended)
2020 No competition was held (due to the Covid pandemic).
2021 Anastasia Tionadewi (1) Eri Yamamoto (2) HyunJeong Wang (3)
2022 William Bracken (1) Miriam Gómez-Morán (2) Than Nhat Vu (=3) Shuri Masada (=3)
2023 Letian Yu (1) Spencer Klymyshyn (2) Neo Hung (3) Hedong Li & Fang-Lin Liu (both Highly Commended)
2024 Sebastian-Benedict Flore (1) Catherine Chang (2) Michele Taraborrelli (=3) Shiv Yajnik (=3)