For many decades, the Competition has been privileged to have the patronage of the President of Ireland. The Competition is currently under the patronage of Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, who presented the prizes at the 2012, 2015 and 2018  Competition.

Past Irish Presidents Patrick J. Hillery, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese also all honoured the Competition with their patronage.

Since the very beginning, when the then Director General Vincent Finn responded generously and enthusiastically to John O’Conor’s request for support, RTÉ and its successive Directors General, Joe Barry, Bob Collins, Cathal Goan, Noel Curran and Dee Forbes have continued to give backbone to all the Competition’s activities. Finals and Semi-Finals have been televised, and four documentaries have been produced.

RTÉ lyric fm sponsors and records the commissioned Irish pieces as well as recording the Finals and Semi-Finals for radio, and the majority of the Competition’s concerts in intervening years.

After many years of association with Steinway & Sons, in 2012 the Competition was fortunate to become an all-Steinway competition. We are grateful to them and their agents in Ireland, Pianos Plus, for providing their legendary instruments for performance and practice as well as an expert band of technicians to keep the instruments at the top of their form.

Music schools including the TU Dublin Conservatoire of Music, the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the CIT Cork School of Music provide support and encouragement to their young pianists who aspire to take part in the Competition.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has assisted with the Competition’s work in many cities all over the world, opening doors and making introductions, and has helped from the start to raise the international profile of each Dublin International Piano Competition winner.

Since its beginning, the Competition has always drawn lively interest from the media. National and local press have given wide coverage to all winners.