The Dallas International Piano Competition, hosted by the Dallas Chamber Symphony, will present its final round of competition on June 23 at Moody Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District. The finals will feature three finalists, each playing a concerto with the Dallas Chamber Symphony.

Competition Details

The orchestra established its international instrument competitions in 2012, only one year after its founding. Every other year, the orchestra hosts a piano competition. Next year, the competition will feature violinists. The competition has grown significantly throughout the years.

Richard McKay, Dallas Chamber Symphony’s Artistic and Music Director, stated, “We had 172 applicants this year. So, that’s an increase. It continues to increase, especially since the pandemic. The events have really bounced back. It’s kind of going full steam ahead since things generally paused during the pandemic. We’ve got top-notch applicants.”

The competitors are from around the world, with applicants from roughly 20 different countries. Many of them already have a home base in the United States, even though they’re from elsewhere.

Unique Experience

This year’s competition is a different experience for the pianists due to the FIFA World Cup being held in Dallas. The event has brought a large number of people to the city, resulting in busy traffic and a unique atmosphere.

McKay noted, “FIFA has really been a complexifier this year for us, because we have all these people traveling to Dallas at the same time that everyone else is traveling to Dallas. They’re all needing to stay in Dallas at the same time everyone else is staying in Dallas.”

The jury for the final round of the competition consists of James Giles, Elinor Freer, and Alexandre Moutouzkine. The audience will also have a say in the competition, as they will be able to vote for an audience favorite.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.