Competition to include a chamber music element for the first time

Speaking in Dublin, the Artistic Director of the Dublin International Piano Competition (DIPC) Finghin Collins announced details of the 2025 edition of the Competition which will take place online in February 2025 and in Dublin from 9 May to 16 May 2025.  The Competition will be in four rounds. The First Round will be held online during February 2025. The Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals will be held in the Whyte Recital Hall, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, from 9 to 14 May 2025. The Finals will consist of concerto performances with Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jonas Alber.  This will be held in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Friday 16 May and broadcast live by the Competition’s media partner, RTÉ lyric fm.

For the first time in the 35-year history of the Competition, a chamber music element will feature in the programme.  The Galway-based ConTempo Quartet (pictured) will join the eight semi-finalists for a performance of a piano quintet by Brahms, Dvorak or Schumann.  In addition to this, each semi-finalist will perform a 40-minute solo recital.

The DIPC has also announced the four Irish composers who have been commissioned by RTÉ lyric fm to compose short solo piano pieces especially for the event.  In a change to the previous format, these pieces will be performed in the quarter-finals of the Competition, affording a much greater exposure to the composers.  The composers for the 2025 Competition are David Coonan, Roger Doyle, Ailís Ni Riain and Judith Ring. Their works will be published by the Contemporary Music Centre.

As a tribute to the Competition’s co-founder and long-time Artistic Director, John O’Conor, a substantial work by Beethoven will have to be performed by each Competitor in one round of the Competition. John O’Conor’s international reputation is to a large extent linked to his acclaimed performances and recordings of the piano music of Beethoven.

Collins commented: ‘I wanted to pay tribute to the enormous contribution John made to the DIPC throughout its history.  I also feel that the works of Beethoven are an excellent test of a pianist’s musical intelligence and technical control.  I am very excited to announce the new repertoire rules for the Competition, and I think the new chamber music element will appeal to the competitors as well as to our audience. I’m also delighted that the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Competition will take place in the exquisite new Whyte Recital Hall at the RIAM.’

The Competition has also announced the distinguished international jury for the Competition.  Chaired by Collins, the jury will include pianists Michel Béroff (France), Piers Lane (UK / Australia), Anne-Marie McDermott (USA), Noriko Ogawa (Japan), Dénes Varjon (Hungary) as well as Dubliner Katie McGuinness, Vice-President of Artistic Operations at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

As the Dublin International Piano Competition reveals the details of its 2025 edition, gratitude is extended to the Competition’s valued supporters and partners whose unwavering commitment plays a pivotal role in the Competition’s success.