FAQ

It is an international piano competition in which talented young musicians from around the world compete.

The aim of the competition is to perpetuate the memory and legacy of the Valencian pianist José Iturbi, whilst serving as a platform to support emerging talents making their way in the competitive world of piano, just as Maestro Iturbi did in his early career.

The competition is organised by the Provincial Council of Valencia, the institution responsible for the governance and autonomous administration of the province of Valencia.

As a public authority, the Provincial Council of Valencia collaborates with other public and private organisations to ensure the International Piano Competition is held.

The Iturbi Prize was established in June 1981 by the distinguished maestro Joaquín Rodrigo.

It is a biennial competition (held once every two years).

In 2025, the Iturbi Prize celebrated its 23rd edition.

In 2027, it returns with renewed enthusiasm for its 24th edition.

All stages of the competition are held in the city of Valencia (Spain).

Valencia is Spain’s third most populous city and the capital of the province of the same name, as well as of the Region of Valencia. It is situated on the Mediterranean coast and is an important cultural hub, particularly in the field of music.

For its 2027 edition, the Iturbi Prize returns to its usual venue: the Palau de la Música de València.

The 24th edition will take place from 2 to 12 June 2027.

The competition consists of four elimination rounds, held in succession:

• First round: A recital lasting a maximum of 40 minutes.
• Second round: A recital lasting a maximum of 60 minutes.
• Semi-final: A concert with an orchestra.
• Final: A concert with an orchestra.

The jury for the 24th edition of the Valencia Iturbi International Piano Competition will comprise Catherine d’Argoubet, Nikolai Demidenko, Janina Fialkowska, Ana Guijarro, Paul Hughes, Jorge Luis Prats, Rune Bergmann and Alessio Bax, chaired by Joaquín Achúcarro.

Prizes:

• First prize: 30,000 euros.
• Second prize: 20,000 euros.
• Third prize: 10,000 euros.
• Prizes for semi-finalists not selected for the Final: 6,000 euros.

In addition, the top three prize winners will take part in a concert tour of the province of Valencia (scheduled for 2028).

Special Prizes:

• Prize for the best performance of Spanish music: 2,000 euros.
• Special prize for the best performance of a work by Beethoven: 2,000 euros.

In addition to these, other prizes may be awarded, funded by other sponsoring and collaborating organisations.

Should the Jury agree to award prizes ex aequo, the prize money will be divided amongst the winners. The first prize may not be awarded ex aequo.

Any of the prizes may not be awarded and may therefore remain vacant.

Young pianists of any nationality who meet the entry requirements may take part in this competition.

The age requirement is that entrants must have been born on or after 2 June 1992; in other words, they must be no older than 34 on the day the competition begins (or that date must be precisely their 35th birthday).

Furthermore, contestants who have won First Prize in previous editions of the competition are not eligible to take part.

In addition, individuals who have received tuition from members of the jury (including masterclasses) during the two years prior to the start of the competition – that is, from 2 June 2025 (inclusive) – are not eligible to take part.

No, both registration and participation in the Iturbi Prize are free.

To help with travel and living expenses, each contestant receives a grant of 1,000 euros.

Furthermore, an extra grant of 300 euros will be awarded to each contestant who qualifies for the Semi-final.

For the 2027 edition, no accommodation is provided for contestants, nor is there any assistance programme planned by the organisers in this regard. Neither are there any plans for accommodation in private homes.

The application period is open from 2 July 2026 until 5 November 2026 at 23:59:59 Central European Time (CET) (UTC+1:00).

The registration form and any supporting documents must be submitted online via this website, in the ‘2027 Competition > Registration Form’ section.

First, the registration form requires basic personal details (name, nationality, age, contact details, etc.).

In addition, applicants must provide the URL where an audiovisual recording can be viewed, preferably in high definition (HD), showing the applicant performing a free programme lasting between 20 and 30 minutes, which will be assessed by the technical pre-selection panel. The link must remain available for viewing and downloading until 31 January 2027.

The registration form must also include details of the titles of the works proposed for performance in each of the four rounds of the competition, along with their approximate duration (“repertoire” or “programme”).

Applications must be accompanied by the documents listed below:

1. An official document (passport or National Identity Card number) showing the applicant’s date of birth and nationality.
2. A curriculum vitae listing academic and artistic qualifications, a summary of musical studies (including names of teachers), participation in international competitions, major performances, and recordings for disc, radio or television.
3. Two letters of recommendation from figures in the music world, including contact details (telephone number and email address).
4. A photograph.
5. Optional: Official or private documents that the applicant considers relevant to their application (international awards, reviews, album recordings, etc.)

Documents must be in PDF, JPG or PNG format.

Each file must not exceed 10 MB.

Should the applicant choose to submit additional documents they consider relevant to their application, these must all be compiled into a single PDF file with a maximum size of 10 MB.

The video (or videos) must be hosted on a publicly accessible website (e.g., YouTube or similar platforms). The link must remain available for viewing and downloading until 31 January 2027.

It should preferably be recorded in high definition (HD).

The applicant will perform a programme of their choice lasting 20-30 minutes, which will be assessed by the technical pre-selection panel.

The repertoire may include pieces proposed by the applicant if selected for the competition phase.

Each of the pieces performed must have been recorded in a single take, without any cuts in the performance, so that the face and hands remain in shot at all times.

The recording must have been made after 1 January 2026.

If the recommender so wishes, the letter of recommendation may be sent directly to the technical pre-selection panel by email to pianoiturbi@dival.es. In this case, the applicant must provide, in the relevant section of the form, a document stating this circumstance.

The technical pre-selection panel, based on the documentation and recording submitted by the candidates, will select the 22 candidates admitted to the competition phase. These sessions will take place in the city of Valencia in January 2027.

In addition, the technical pre-selection panel selects the group of applicants who will form part of the reserve list, arranged in order of call-up, to replace any contestants who withdraw before the start of the competition phase.

The composition of the technical pre-selection panel is as follows:

• Chair: Ana María Guijarro Malagón
• Member: Carles Marín Moret
• Member: Ángel Sanzo Herrera

The Secretariat of the technical pre-selection panel will be held by a Senior Administrative Officer from the Provincial Council of Valencia.

The list of candidates selected for the competition phase will be published on this website on 15 January 2027, in alphabetical order.

The reserve list, arranged in order of call-up, will also be published on this website on 15 January 2027.

The competition phase consists of four eliminatory rounds, which take place in succession:

• First round (recital).
• Second round (recital).
• Semi-final (concert).
• Final (concert).

All works performed throughout the competition must be performed from memory.

Each competitor must present two different programmes of their own choice at each of the competition recitals (First round and Second round). The repertoire must include one work from each of the categories listed below, although these may appear in either recital:
a) A work by Beethoven.
b) A work by Mozart.
c) A Nocturne by Chopin.
d) A piece by Chopin to be chosen from the Ballades, the Scherzos, or the Polonaises, including the Polonaise-Fantasy.
e) A piece from Goyescas by E. Granados; or a piece from the Suite Iberia, Navarra or La Vega by Isaac Albéniz; or the Fantasía Bética by Manuel de Falla.

First round

Preliminary round with the 22 selected contestants.
Recital lasting a maximum of 40 minutes.

Second round

Preliminary round with 10 contestants.
Recital lasting a maximum of 60 minutes.

Semi-final

Preliminary round with six contestants.
Performance of one of Beethoven’s five concertos for piano and orchestra.

Final

Round featuring three contestants.

Performance of a concerto for piano and orchestra from among the following:

• Chopin: Concertos No. 1 and No. 2.
• Liszt: Concertos No. 1 and No. 2.
• Schumann: Concerto in A minor.
• Brahms: Concertos No. 1 and No. 2.
• Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor.
• Saint-Saëns: Concertos No. 2 in G minor and No. 5 in F major.
• Prokofiev: Concertos Nos. 2 and 3.
• Ravel: Concerto in G major.
• Rachmaninov: Concertos Nos. 1, 2 and 3 and Variations on a Theme by Paganini.
• Britten: Concerto Op. 13.
• Strauss: Burlesque.
• Bartók: Concertos No. 2 and No. 3.
• Joaquín Rodrigo: Heroic Concerto.
• Manuel Palau: Dramatic Concerto.

If the programme proposed by the candidate exceeds the permitted duration in any of the rounds, the Artistic Committee will decide which works, or excerpts, are to be performed.

Changes to the programme proposed at the time of registration will only be accepted up to 28 February 2027.

The Culture Department of the Provincial Council of Valencia will only accept changes after this date in cases of force majeure.

All pieces performed throughout the competition must be performed from memory.

First round (40-minute recital): Wednesday 2, Thursday 3 and Friday 4 June 2027.

Second round (60-minute recital): Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 June 2027.

Semi-final: Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 June 2027.

Final: Friday 11 June 2027.

All rounds of the competition will take place at the Palau de la Música in Valencia.

The order of performance will be determined by a draw.

This draw will take place during the welcome and registration session for the selected contestants, which will be held on the afternoon of 1 June 2027 in Valencia.

Each competitor will be assigned a number between 1 and 22, which will determine their order of performance.

This order of performance will remain the same throughout all rounds of the competition, including the Final, although the Artistic Committee may make specific changes to this order, based on reasoned criteria, which will be notified to the contestants well in advance.

The 22 contestants selected for the competition phase will be required to attend on Tuesday, 1 June 2027, for registration and identification. The location (in the city of Valencia) and the time (in the afternoon) will be announced well in advance.

Furthermore, if contestants can choose more than one competition piano, the instrument trial will take place on 1 June 2027 at the Palau de la Música de València.

It is therefore recommended that contestants arrive in the city of Valencia before midday on Tuesday, 1 June 2027, so that they can travel at their leisure to the venue for the welcome and registration session and, where applicable, to the Palau de la Música to test the competition pianos.

All contestants are invited to attend the closing gala of the Iturbi Valencia International Piano Competition.

The closing and awards gala will take place on the afternoon of 12 June 2027.

This gala will include a recital in which the finalists are required to participate. They will perform one piece, chosen by the competition organisers from among those they have performed during the competition’s various rounds.

During this event, the winners of all the competition prizes will be announced and the certificates will be presented. Therefore, at least all contestants in the Semi-final and Final must attend this event.