The Dublin International Piano Competition is delighted to announce the names of its 2026 Young Pianists Programme participants: Lenny Chen (15, from Boyle, Co. Roscommon, studying with Shirin Goudarzi-Tobin at TU Dublin Conservatoire); Aidan Keane (18, from Trim, Co. Meath, studying with Hugh Tinney and Anthony Byrne at the Royal Irish Academy of Music); Pei Lin Oisín Pu (15, from Celbridge, Co. Kildare, studying with Anait Tchaouchian at the Menuhin School); Ríona Scahill (15, from Maynooth, Co. Kildare, studying with Thérèse Fahy at RIAM); Yuhan Xue (16, from Rahoon, Co. Galway, studying with Thérèse Fahy); and Daniel Uman (19, from Cyprus, now living in Dublin, also studying with Thérèse Fahy at RIAM).

The standard of applications and auditions for the programme was very high, and we look forward to working with our outstanding and dedicated chosen pianists.  After the tremendous success of the first YPP in 2024, we are starting the year off strong with an outing to see Barry Douglas perform Shostakovich’s ‘Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra’ with the NSOI at the National Concert Hall on 16th January – for everyone to get to know each other – followed by a masterclass with Barry Douglas on 17th, kindly hosted at RIAM.

The DIPC looks forward to taking the young pianists to a variety of cultural outings throughout the year, along with workshops and masterclasses introducing them to holistic and professional approaches to performance careers, as well as a network of professionals within the industry.  The programme will conclude with a showcase concert at the end of the 2026 calendar year.