17th International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna: May 16 – 24, 2025. Be a part of it!

The application process for the 17th International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna opened in May 2024. From its start since over 60 years ago, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) has been the organizer of this highly renowned competition. The mdw not only contributes its many years of experience and expertise in the field of music promotion and education, but also offers a first-class infrastructure and an inspiring environment for the participants of this competition.

Since its foundation, the International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna has established itself as an important platform for outstanding young pianists from all over the world to present their talent and passion for music to an international jury and audience at the Vienna Musikverein.

The usual competition repertoire, from virtuoso etudes to thunderous Rachmaninov concertos, is not what is required here. The required repertoire consists exclusively of works by Beethoven. The intensive study of Ludwig van Beethoven’s compositions in preparation for the competition paves the way to interpretational maturity for many young musicians – and this path is also the goal. After all, Beethoven’s compositions are a mainstay in the training of all budding concert pianists.

The high level of musicianship, the rigorous selection process and the objective assessment by a high-caliber jury make the International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna a role model for other piano competitions worldwide. Participants have the unique opportunity to showcase their skills, receive valuable feedback from renowned music experts and network with like-minded people from all over the world.

The exclusive instrument played at this competition is a Bösendorfer – the ideal guarantee for the unique Viennese sound culture.

By promoting young musicians, the Vienna International Beethoven Piano Competition makes a significant contribution to the further development of the classical music scene and consolidates its reputation as one of the leading piano competitions worldwide. The artistic reputation of this competition is confirmed by prizewinners such as Mitsuko Uchida, Avedis Kouyoumdjian, Stefan Vladar and Jasminka Stancul.

The final round of the 17th International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna will take place on May 24, 2025 in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein with orchestra.

“This competition in the heart of Vienna offers young talents the unique opportunity to demonstrate their musicality and artistic maturity,” says Artistic Director Jan Jiracek von Arnim.

Pianists born after 1 January 1993 are cordially invited to apply for participation in the 17th International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna until October 15, 2024.

The International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna is a project of mdw:

The mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna is one of the world’s largest and most renowned universities for music, theater and film. About 3,000 students from 70 countries enjoy their education in 115 disciplines in the fields of music, performing arts, science, research and pedagogics.

The examination of traditions and the development of innovations characterize the university’s profile and determine the strategic orientation of its activities in the arts, teaching and research. The diversity of subjects and methodological approaches enables the development of new perspectives and opportunities in a European and global context.

The mdw sees its task as preserving this meaningful space while at the same time breaking new ground. It is a central concern of the mdw to promote the diverse forms and manifestations of artistic, academic, and pedagogical work, to enable students to develop their own personal definition of an open concept of art, and to strengthen their ability to reflect critically. In doing so, the university aims to offer students the best possible framework conditions for their education.

With its nine locations the mdw extends across and connects with the city of Vienna. Whether at the simultaneously tradition-steeped and innovative mdw Campus at Anton-von-Webern-Platz in Vienna’s third district, at the one-of-a-kind Schlosstheater Schönbrunn or across the way at Palais Cumberland: everywhere the mdw is anchored, it makes itself felt and heard throughout the city, the country, Europe and far beyond.

About the Artistic Director & Chairman of the Jury, Jan Jiracek von Arnim:

Born into a family of musicians, pianist Jan Jiracek von Arnim was described by BBC Music Magazine as one of the leading pianists of his generation. A top prize winner at the Busoni Competition (Italy) and Maria Canals Competition (Spain), Jan Jiracek von Arnim was one of the winners of the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (USA). He regularly performs in musical centers such as the Musikverein Vienna, Philharmonie Berlin, Suntory Hall Tokyo, and others.

He was appointed professor for piano at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts (mdw) in Austria in 2001, making him the youngest tenured professor in the history of that school.

His students are prizewinners of major international piano competitions, e.g. in 2021 first prize winner at “Géza Anda” (Switzerland), 2020 first prize winner at “Unisa” (South Africa), 2019 first prize winner of the “Top of the World” (Norway) and Tucumán International Piano Competition (Argentina), 2018 first prize at the “Maria Canals Barcelona”.

Jan Jiracek von Arnim is currently guest professor at the Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima (Japan) and at the China Conservatory in Beijing. He was visiting professor at Yale School of Music in 2022 – 2023.

He gives master classes on a regular basis in North America, Asia and Europe. From 2017 – 2023, he was teaching the annual “Beethovenkurs” as successor to legendary pianist Wilhelm Kempff at the “Casa Orfeo” in Positano, Italy, teaching selected international piano talents on the German and Austrian traditions of Beethoven interpretation.

Upcoming projects include performances and teaching activities at the 2024 summer academy of Mozarteum Salzburg, 2024 Chopin Festival in Duszniki, Poland, the 2024 Tianjin Juilliard Piano Festival in China, the 2024 International Piano Festival in Hangzhou China, as well as several masterclasses in Japan.

Mr. Jiracek von Arnim is frequently invited as a judge at international piano competitions, e.g. the “Hamamatsu International Piano Competition” in Japan, the “Busoni International Piano Competition” in Italy, the “Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition for young musicians”, the “Shenzhen International Piano Competition”, and in 2024 at the “Montréal International Piano Competition” and the “China International Music Competition” in Beijing.

Since 2011, he is the Artistic Director and Chairman of the “International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna”.

„The quality of the interpretation of Beethoven’s immortal masterpieces is a key element for the artistic reputation of musicians. This unique competition in the heart of beautiful Vienna gives young pianists a rewarding opportunity to showcase their musicianship and artistic maturity.”

Previous jury members of the International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna

Dmitri Alexeev, Boris Berman, Fabio Bidini, Bruno Canino, Ya-Fei Chuang, Pascal Devoyon, Sergei Dorensky, Peter Efler, Fumiko Eguchi, Christopher Elton, Brigitte Engerer, Noel Flores, Homero Francesch, Ryoko Fukasawa, Filippo Gamba, Valentin Gheorghiu, Bernd Goetzke, Hans Graf, Rico Gulda, Klaus Hellwig, Christopher Hinterhuber, Martin Hughes, Andreas Häfliger, Margarita Höhenrieder, Dianko Iliew, Akira Imai, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Alexander Jenner, Jan Jiracek von Arnim, Choong-Mo Kang, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Roland Keller, Daejin Kim, Ivan Klansky, Mari Kodama, Alfons Kontarsky, Avedis Kouyoumdjian,  Michael Krist, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Christoph Lieske, Heinz Medjimorec, Dominique Merlet, Viktor Merzhanov, Minoru Nojima, John O‘Conor, Tatjana Ognjanovic, John Owings, Piotr Paleczny, Hans Petermandl, Gitti Pirner, Anne Queffélec, Ferenc Rados, Matti Raekallio, Walter Robert, Markus Schirmer, Soo-Jung Shin, Antti Siirala, Takahiro Sonoda, Jasminka Stancul, Erik Tawaststjerna, Etsuko Terada, Maria Tipo, Dubravka Tomsic, Blanca Uribe, Arie Vardi, Lev Vlassenko, Natasha Vlassenko, Jürg von Vintschger, Fanny Waterman, Wolfgang Watzinger, Eleanor Wong, Idith Zvi