Rules and Regulations

Content    

Eligibility

Pianists aged 28 years and below of any nationality are eligible to compete in this competition.

There are four age categories:

Junior Born in 2016 to 2025
Intermediate Born in 2012 to 2015
Senior Born in 2008 to 2011
Young Artist Born in 1998 to 2007
  1. Contestants are limited to submitting ONE entry only. However, younger contestants are allowed to enter any category with a higher age limit.
  2. First-prize winners of the past IPFC are not eligible to compete in the same category again.

Repertoire

  1. Original works and standard arrangements/transcriptions from the classical repertoire (e.g. Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth-Century) are acceptable. The submitted repertoire is subject to review by the competition committee.
  2. Contestants may repeat the same repertoire from the earlier stages of the competition.
  3. The selected repertoire must strictly adhere to the time limit stipulated for each category. (see below)
  4. All repeats are generally omitted except for da capo. However, repeats may be played at the discretion of the contestant should it enhance the music artistically.
  5. All works are to be performed from memory.
  6. Contestants are required to provide music scores for the jury panel:
    • Preliminary round: PDF Score
    • Semifinal round: 2 sets (hard copy)
    • Final round: 3 sets (hard copy)
  7. Changes of the repertoire are not allowed after 1 March 2026.

Preliminary Round

Categories Junior Intermediate Senior Young Artist
Time 4-7 minutes 8-10 minutes 10-15 minutes 15-20 minutes
Programme Requirement Two or more contrasting pieces within the time limit

Semi-Final Round

Categories Junior Intermediate Senior Young Artist
Time 4-7 minutes 8-10 minutes 10-15 minutes 15-20 minutes
Programme Requirement Two or more contrasting pieces within the time limit;
One piece must be selected from the etudes listed below:
Any one from the following:
  • Burgmüller 18 Characteristic Studies Op. 109: Nos. 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14
  • Czerny Études de Mécanisme Op. 849: Nos. 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 23, 24
  • Heller 30 Progressive Studies Op. 46: Nos. 1, 4, 9
 Any one from the following:
  • Moszkowski Études de Virtuosité Op. 72
  • Chopin Trois Nouvelles Études
  • Heller 30 Progressive: Studies Op. 46 : Nos. 12, 14, 25, 29
 Any one from the following:
  • Liszt Three Concert Études S. 144
  • Liszt Two Concert Études S. 145
  • Chopin Études Op.10 or 25
 Any étude by the following composers:
  • Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Ligeti, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok.
OR, Any of the following:
  • Liszt Transcendental Étude
  • Chopin Études Op. 10: Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 12
  • Chopin Études Op. 25: Nos. 6, 8, 10, 11, 12
*Contestants may choose the etude from an advanced category.
Eg: Intermediate contestant may choose etudes from Senior or Young Artist categories.

Final Round

Categories Junior Intermediate Senior Young Artist
Time 8-10 minutes 15-20 minutes 20-25 minutes
(including commission piece)		 35-40 minutes
(including commission piece)
Programme Requirement Three or more contrasting works within the time limit, including the commissioned piece
N/A N/A A commissioned piece (2-3 minutes). The score will be sent to contestants on the 31st March 2026 tentatively. Memorisation is not required for this piece. A commissioned piece (3-4 minutes). The score will be sent to contestants on the 31st March 2026 tentatively. Memorisation is not required for this piece.

General Rules

  1. Contestants must acknowledge every email sent by the organizer.
  2. Contestants below the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
  3. Any submission that fails to meet the recording requirements shall be disqualified and will not be eligible for a certificate.

Competition Schedule

  1. The semi-final round schedule will be sent out by 31 March 2026.
  2. Contestants must adhere to the competition schedule fixed by the organizer.

Registration

  1. On the day of the competition, all contestants are required to report to the registration desk 45 minutes prior to the assigned performance time.
  2. Contestants should always remain at the waiting room after the registration.
  3. Contestants who are late for the registration may be disqualified from the competition without a refund.

Practice Facilities

Practice facilities are available during the days of the competition. Scheduled warm-up room and time will be assigned prior to the allocated competition time after registration.

Dress Code

All contestants are expected to dress formally. Informal attire (such as jeans, sneakers, flip flops, shorts, short skirts, tank tops, t-shirts, etc) are strictly prohibited.

Concert Hall Regulations

  1. All forms of photography, audio, or video recording of the performances at all stages of the competition are strictly prohibited.
  2. All performances are open to the public. However, children under five years old are not allowed into the hall.

Adjudication

  1. The adjudication panel consists of national and international pianists.
  2. The adjudication panel reserves the right to stop a contestant’s performance at any stage of the competition when a decision has been made. If the program offered exceeds the stipulated time limit, the adjudicator panel may choose to hear only parts of the program and ask the contestant to perform any section of the pieces offered, not necessarily from the beginning.
  3. The adjudication panel will award the contestants gold or silver certificates in preliminary round, and only gold certificate recipients will qualify to advance into the semi-final round of the competition.
  4. The adjudication panel will select two to three semi-finalists—those not chosen as finalists—to participate in the masterclass.
  5. The adjudication panel will select up to a maximum of six finalists for each category from the semi-finalists.
  6. The adjudication panel reserves the right not to award any prize in the final round.
  7. The adjudication panel’s decision is final: no discussion or correspondence will be entertained.

Announcement of Results

  1. The results of the advancement to the next stage will be posted on:
  2. All shortlisted semi-finalists and finalists must perform live for the semi final and final rounds of the competition.

Prize Winners Award Ceremony and Concert for Final Round

  1. All prize winners for the Final Round of each category will be announced during the Award Ceremony held at UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur on 14 May 2026.
  2. The Prize Winners Concert will immediately follow after the Award Ceremony; all winners must be available to perform during the Prize Winners Concert.

Certificate

Prizes and Awards

Cash Prize

Junior Category
Prize 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize
Amount (all in RM) 1500 1000 500
Total 3000
Intermediate Category
Prize 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize
Amount (all in RM) 2000 1500 1000
Total 4500
Senior Category
Prize 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize
Amount (all in RM) 3000 2200 1200
Total 6400
Young Artist Category
Prize 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize
Amount (all in RM) 4000 3000 2000
Total 9000
Best Etude Award
Prize Junior Intermediate Senior Young Artist
Amount (all in RM) 100 200 300 400
Outstanding Performance of the Commissioned Work Award
Prize Senior Category Young Artist Category
Amount (all in RM) 300 300

UCSI Scholarship for Senior and Young Artist Categories

* Senior Category
First Prize UCSI Institute of Music full undergraduate tuition scholarship
Second Prize UCSI Institute of Music 75% undergraduate tuition scholarship
Third Prize UCSI Institute of Music 50% undergraduate tuition scholarship
** Young Artist Category
First Prize UCSI Institute of Music full undergraduate/ post graduate tuition scholarship
Second Prize UCSI Institute of Music 75% undergraduate/ post graduate tuition scholarship
Third Prize UCSI Institute of Music 50% undergraduate/ post graduate tuition scholarship

Terms and conditions:

  • The recipient of *Senior Category scholarship must meet the Institute of Music, UCSI University’s admission requirements and be accepted into either the diploma, foundation or the bachelor program.
  • The recipient of **Young Artist Category scholarship must meet the Institute of Music, UCSI University’s admission requirements and be accepted into either the diploma, foundation, bachelor or postgraduate program.
  • This award covers the tuition fees only and cannot be converted into cash, in the event that the recipient does not enrol into the Institute of Music, UCSI University.
  • The recipient must fulfill all requirements of the scholarship award throughout the studies at the Insititute of Music, UCSI University.

Special Awards

Two (2) recipients will be awarded a sum of NT21500 each (on tuition fees only), chosen by the 7 IPFC judges, on the day of the award ceremony. Recipients will be selected regardless of the categories they are registered in, to attend the International Maestro Piano Festival in Taiwan 2027. More details to follow

Best Etude Award for each category

Outstanding Performance of the Commissioned Work Award for both Senior and Young Artist categories

 

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