International Piano Competition ‘Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize’

29th International Piano Competition
‘Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize’ – LIVE Edition 2026 – May 5-10 2026

The 29th International Piano Competition ‘Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize’, member of the WFIMC – World Federation of International Music Competitions of Geneve will take place from 5th to 10th May 2026 live at the wonderful Curci Theatre in Barletta – Italy.

The Final will be with Simphony Orchestra ICO Suoni del Sud conducted by Maestro Benedetto Montebello for the Concert Season of the Curci Theatre.

For the 2026 Edition the Competition provides Total Prizes for 16.500 Euros, a cd online release by Moto Armonico Recording Studio ( recording and mastering produced by the winner) and 5 Concerts offered by NUOVO IMAIE and by the sponsors Buzzi Unicem, Fondazione Megamark-Onlus and doc. ing. Luca Dimiccoli.
The Competition is open to the pianists born after 1st January 1994 and before 1st January 2010.

The Competion has free application for the Contestants and it will have no Application Fee!!
There is only a security deposit that will be refunded to all the Participants present on the call roll day in Barletta.

The deadline for sending the Application form is Monday,  April 20, 2026.

There are really special Reduced Rates reserved for Participants in the Competitions and their companions (breakfast included, free parking and free shuttle to Barletta centre) at Hotel dei Cavalieri – Best Western.

We have important support from the Town of Barletta, the Apulia Region and the del the National Ministry of Culture.

The 2026 Jury will be announced not later than December 31, 2025 with renowned musicians coming from all the world.

The Winners of the previous Editions of the MPM IPC are successful artists all over the world, like Oliver Kern (Germany), Roberto Corlianò (Italy), Tchen Tzu-Yi (Taiwan), Kimberly Chen (U.S.A.), Anna Vinnitskaja (Russia), Yusuke Kikuchi (Japan), Vadim Ageev (Russia),Stanislav Khristenko (Russia), Yumi Sato (Japan), Scipione Sangiovanni (Italy), Galina Chistyakova (Russia), Alexander Panfilov (Russia), Anna Zaychenko (Russia), Ye Seul Kim (South Korea), Woo Jin Kim (South Korea),Evgeny Starodubtsev (Russia), Bartek Sklodowsky (Poland),Polina Sasko (Ukraina), Maria Narodytska (Ukraina), Kwon Kisuk (South Korea), Dominic Doutney (Great Britain), Ho Khan Van (Vietnam), Caitlan Rinaldy (Australia) and Zhiqiao Zhang (China).

The MPM IPC tries to increase the piano culture all around the world, giving a chance to young pianists for comparing their musical thinking and for starting a professional musician career.

The Competition realize the special wish of the passed away Maestro Carlo Maria Giulini, past Honorary Chairperson of the Competition, to all the participants:
‘Wishing the Young Generations will be at the service of the Music and can present, through the Sound, what the Great Composers created for enrich the Spiritual Life of the Human Beings’.
The words of Carlo Maria Giulini give a clear idea for which kind of musician the Competition is looking for and what pianists must try to give in their performance.

Sincere thanks to all the sponsors and supporters of the Competition for the help they give to the Culture and the Music all around the world.