Chopin Pleyel competition

Presentation of the first Chopin Pleyel International Piano Competition in Nohant

Created jointly by the Centre des monuments nationaux, the Nohant Festival Chopin and Pleyel Pianos, this new international competition dedicated to Chopin will take place from August 15 to 23, 2026 in Nohant, on the George Sand estate. This great personality, whose 150th birthday will be celebrated in 2026, created the ideal conditions for Frédéric Chopin to find the inspiration, desire and time to compose. From 1839 to 1846, they stayed together in this family home for over 35 months. Seven summers in all, during which all the masterpieces of Chopin's maturity were born, from the Sonata Op. 35 to the Waltzes Op. 64, making this writer's house one of music's most historic sites.

Fascinated by Bel Canto, constantly seeking ways to render color in music, a veritable “alchemist” of sound, Frédéric Chopin found in Pleyel pianos the qualities specific to the expression of his art, to the point of making exclusive use of them, including at Nohant, where Pleyel sent him a grand piano every summer. So it was only natural that Pleyel, now enjoying a renaissance, should be associated with this competition.

Selected from all over the world, 28 participants will have the unique opportunity in August 2026 to perform works by Chopin in the very place where they were born, and on a stage where the greatest pianists have performed since 1966. An international jury of seven concert pianists and pedagogues, recognized for their high level of expertise and affinity with Chopin's work, will have the task of deciding between them.

The first edition of the Pleyel International Chopin Piano Competition in Nohant promises to be a pianistic confrontation of the highest calibre, at the heart of the George Sand Estate in Nohant (Centre des monuments nationaux), a magical place where time seems to have stood still, and where the souls of George Sand and Chopin continue to vibrate.

Yves Henry
Director of the Pleyel International Chopin Competition in Nohant
President of the Nohant Festival Chopin

Martha Argerich will be the patron of this first Pleyel International Chopin Competition in Nohant, a place that holds a special place in her heart and where she has performed twice for the Festival: once in a duo with cellist Misha Maisky and once in a duo with Akiko Ebi (pictured here in 2016).

Calendar

REGISTRATIONS & PRESELECTIONS

June 1, 2025: Registration opens

March 2, 2026: Closing date for entries

March 11, 2026: Announcement of preselection results

THE COMPETITION IN NOHANT

August 15, 2026: Opening evening of the competition

August 16 to 18, 2026: First competition round

August 19 and 20, 2026: Second competition round

August 21 and 22, 2026: Competition final in two rounds

One in recital (afternoon)

The other with orchestra (evening)

August 23, 2026 afternoon: Winners' Concert and prize-giving ceremony

Public Admission

All competition events at the Domaine de George Sand in Nohant, as well as the opening night and the winners' concert, will be open to the public.
Reservations will be available online from the beginning of April 2026 on the competition page of the Nohant festival website.
Tickets and packages will also be available for purchase at the La Châtre tourist office from the same date.

Rules & Conditions

All the information you need to know about this 1st edition of the Pleyel International Chopin Competition in Nohant is available in the complete rules and regulations below. Download it to find out more about the conditions of participation and registration.

By submitting your application, you accept the rules of the Contest.

Program

With the exception of the pre-selection round, the repertoire for the Nohant rounds includes only works by Frédéric Chopin. With the exception of the Études and Concertos, most of the pieces to be performed by applicants were composed or completed in Nohant. Each piece selected by the candidates may be played only once, even if it features in several rounds of the competition (with the exception of the concerto, which may be identical for the video pre-selection round and the final round with orchestra).

PRE-SELECTION PROGRAM IN VIDEO

For the pre-selection of candidates, a video recording of the following repertoire will be requested (recorded in its entirety and transmitted in a single file):

Johann Sebastian Bach: A fugue with four voices from *The Well-Tempered Clavier* (5-part fugues are of course accepted)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: 1st movement of a Sonata of your choice (with the exception of Sonatas K. 282, K. 331).
Frédéric Chopin :
- One etude of your choice, with the exception of the following: Op. 10 No. 3, Op. 10 No. 6, Op. 10 No. 9, and Op. 25 No. 1, Op. 25 No. 2, Op. 25 No. 3, Op. 25 No. 7, Op. 25 No. 8, Op. 25 No. 9 and the 3 posthumous etudes.
- The finale of one of the two concertos (Op. 11 or Op. 21) with accompaniment by a second piano.

PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST ELIMINATION ROUND

Candidates must perform one piece from each of the following categories (3 pieces in all):

One of these etudes :

In C major, Op. 10 No. 1
In A minor, Op. 10 No. 2
In G sharp minor, Op. 25 No. 6
In B minor, Op. 25 No. 10
In A minor, Op. 25 No. 11

One of these nocturnes :

Nocturne in G major, Op. 37 No. 2
Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1
Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 55 No. 2
Nocturne in B major, Op. 62 No. 1
Nocturne in E major, Op. 62 No. 2

One of the following pieces

Scherzo No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39
Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54
Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47
Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

PROGRAM FOR THE SECOND ELIMINATORY ROUND

Candidates can choose between :

24 Preludes, Op. 28

One piece from each of the following 4 categories (4 pieces in total), not exceeding the maximum duration of 40' and without repeating a work already chosen from the program of the 1st round:

1. Scherzo No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39 or Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54
2. Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49 or Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op. 60 or Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61
3. Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47, or Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 2
4. One of the following pieces (*):

Impromptu No. 2 in F sharp major, Op. 36
Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 45
Impromptu No. 3 in G flat major, Op. 51
Lullaby in D-flat major, Op. 57
Waltz in F minor, Op. 70

(*): Candidates may, if they wish, play this piece on an 1844 Pleyel piano. This choice is theirs, but is not mandatory.

THE FINALS

The 6 candidates admitted to the final will have two rounds, one in recital and the other with orchestra.
The 3 who play the recital on the 21st of August will play with orchestra on the 22nd. The 3 who play the recital on the 22nd will play with orchestra on the 21st.
A rehearsal with the orchestra will be held on the morning of the candidates' orchestral performance.

PROGRAM FOR THE RECITAL TEST

One piece from each of the following categories (4 pieces in total),
with a maximum duration of 55':

1. One of the two following Sonatas:

Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35
Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58

2. One of the following four Mazurka cycles (*):

Mazurkas Op. 50, No. 1 in G major, No. 2 in A flat major, No. 3 in C sharp minor
Mazurkas Op. 56, No. 1 in B major, No. 2 in C major, No. 3 in C minor
Mazurkas Op. 59, No. 1 in A minor, No. 2 in A flat major, No. 3 in F sharp minor
Mazurkas Op. 63, No. 1 in B major, No. 2 in F minor, No. 3 in C sharp minor

3. One of the two following Polonaises:

Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. 44
Polonaise in A flat major, Op. 53

4. One of the following Nocturnes (*):

Nocturne in G major, Op. 37 No. 2
Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1
Nocturne in F sharp minor, Op. 48 No. 2
Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55 No. 1
Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 55 No. 2
Nocturne in B major, Op. 62 No. 1
Nocturne in E major, Op. 62 No. 2

(*) Candidates may, if they wish, play the Mazurka Cycle and/or the Nocturne on an 1844 Pleyel piano. This choice is theirs, but is not mandatory.

PROGRAM FOR THE TEST WITH ORCHESTRA

One of the two concertos:

Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21

Awards

1st prize

Worth €40,000: €10,000 in cash, one oh the news Pleyel grand piano, a Pleyel Magistral system and a Pleyel Imperator 250 speaker.

The winner of the Competition will also be offered a series of engagements for the 2026/2027 season in a number of countries, the list of which will be specified at a later date (France, Italy, USA, Poland, Austria, etc.).

2nd prize

Worth €25,000: €8,000 in cash, one of the new Pleyel upright pianos, a Pleyel Magistral system and a Pleyel Imperator 250 speaker.

3rd prize

Worth €6,000: €5,000 in cash, a Pleyel Magistral system and a Pleyel Imperator 250 speaker.

In addition, various special prizes offered by partners will be awarded to certain participants, whether finalists or not, and announced progressively on the competition website.

Jury members

Akiko EBI

President of the Chopin Society of Japan (Japan)

Trained at Tokyo University of the Arts, then at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in Aldo Ciccolini's class, she went on to perfect her skills with Louis Kentner in London, winning the 2nd Grand Prix Concours International Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud in 1975, as well as four special prizes. In 1980, she won the Warsaw Chopin Competition. A member of the jury of the Warsaw Chopin Competition (2021-2025), she is President of the Chopin Society of Japan and Chair of the Yokohama International Piano Competition Committee.

Yves HENRY, France

Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (France)

Trained by Pierre Sancan at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, he went on to work with Aldo Ciccolini, winning the 1st Grand Prix of the Robert Schumann International Competition (Zwickau) at the age of 22. Appointed Artistic Director of the Festival de Nohant in 1995, he became its President in 2011, and was behind the creation of the 1st Pleyel International Chopin Competition in Nohant. He is a member of the jury of major international competitions: World Music Master in Montecarlo, Warsaw Chopin Competition on period pianos (2023), International Schumann Competition in Zwickau (2012-2016-2024).

Boris BERMAN

Yale School of Music (USA)

At the Yale School of Music, Berman teaches a studio of graduate students, coaches chamber groups, and heads the Piano Department. He is the Artistic Director of the School’s Horowitz Piano Series and frequently gives solo and collaborative performances as part of that series and others. Berman regularly performs and coaches at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival/Yale Summer School of Music, teaches master classes throughout the world, and adjudicates national and international competitions.

Ewa POBŁOCKA

Bydgoszcz Academy of Music (Poland)

Ewa Pobłocka is a laureate of the 10th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw (1980), where she also won the prize for best interpretation of mazurkas. She also won First Prize at the Viotti International Music Competition in Vercelli (1977). A distinguished pedagogue, she teaches at the Bydgoszcz Academy of Music and is a regular jury member at the most prestigious international piano competitions, such as the Warsaw Chopin Competition and the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel-Aviv.

Bruno RIGUTTO

Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot (France)

Trained at the Paris Conservatoire, Bruno Rigutto studied piano with Lucette Descaves. A very young winner of the Marguerite Long and Tchaikovsky competitions (the latter presided over by Emil Gilels), at 17 he met Samson François, whose disciple he was for ten years. He succeeded Aldo Ciccolini at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where for 20 years he trained a number of pianists now enjoying international careers. He is a member of the jury of numerous international competitions.

Rena SHERESHEVSKAYA

Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot (France)

A sought-after piano teacher who has trained a host of the finest young pianists of our time (Alexandre Kantorow, Lucas Debargue, Rémi Geniet and many others), she is the winner of the Prix

International Ippolitov-Ivanov Prize in the field of music pedagogy for outstanding contribution to the development of world musical culture. She is also a jury member of major international competitions such as Long-Thibaud (France), Santander (Spain), Geza Anda (Switzerland), Montreal (Canada), Maj Lind (Finland) and others.

Danwen WEI

Beijing Central Conservatory of Music (China)

Originally from the People's Republic of China, Danwen Wei is considered one of the most remarkable musicians of his generation. A graduate of the Juilliard School and one of the last pupils of legendary pianist

Vladimir Horowitz, he is now a highly sought-after teacher in China and a frequent jury member at national and international piano competitions. He has been head of the piano department at the China Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing) since 2019.

Application form

Dear candidates,

To take part in this first edition of the Chopin Pleyel Competition in Nohant, please fill in the online form from 1 June 2025, and send us all the documents you will be asked to submit (in French or English). Your application will be validated only after receipt of a complete dossier and payment of your registration fees.

Documents to be submitted :

A biography.
A copy of your passport or other identity document. The photograph and date of birth must be visible on the same image.
Three recent and royalty-free photographs, including at least one portrait, which will be used in particular for the Competition’s publications.
A copy of the main musical diplomas and competition results.
Two letters of recommendation from well-known musical figures.
A video recording of the following repertoire (recorded in its entirety and transmitted in a single file):
- Johann Sebastian Bach: A fugue with four voices from *The Well-Tempered Clavier*.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: 1st movement of a Sonata of your choice (with the exception of Sonatas K. 282, K. 331).
- Frédéric Chopin :
  - One etude of your choice, with the exception of the following: Op. 10 No. 3, Op. 10 No. 6, Op. 10 No. 9, and Op. 25 No. 1, Op. 25 No. 2, Op. 25 No. 3, Op. 25 No. 7, Op. 25 No. 8 and Op. 25 No. 9.
  - The finale of one of the two concertos (Op. 11 or Op. 21) with second piano accompaniment.

Registration fees:

The registration fee is 100€ and must be paid to confirm your registration, indicating your name and the individual number used to identify your payment.

By submitting your application, you accept the rules of the competition.