Cape Town Gets New Premier International Piano Competition
Good Things Guy | 13.02.2026 13:00
Cape Town is about to add another feather to its already impressive cap – this one comes with 88 keys.
Cape Town, South Africa (13 February 2026) – From March 2027, the Mother City will host the inaugural Cape Town International Piano Competition, a new platform that aims to put South Africa on the global classical music map.
Internationally, competitions like the Chopin, Busoni, Van Cliburn and Queen Elisabeth have launched the careers of some of the greatest concert pianists of our time. Now Cape Town is setting its sights on joining those ranks.
Presented by Cape Piano, the competition – which takes place over several days from the 6th to the 17th of March 2027 – will invite 30 top pianists to compete over four live rounds, culminating in concerto performances with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under internationally acclaimed conductor Daniel Raiskin.
There will be a life-changing monetary prize up for grabs, exceeding the value of $70,000 (over R1,100 000), and major concert engagements on offer.
The competition will take place alongside the Cape Piano Festival, which will feature pop-up recitals, as well as masterclasses led by jurors and participants for aspiring young pianists.
Various ‘spin-off’ concerts will also be hosted through the competition in unconventional locations – from Table Mountain to popular local beaches and township communities.
Under the leadership of co-founder and executive director Alex Andersson, Cape Piano is focused on widening access to classical music in South Africa — a genre many people have had little exposure to.
“Classical music has to be one of the finest expressions of human creativity, and yet, so few South Africans have enjoyed any real exposure to it,” says Andersson. “The Cape Town International Piano Competition came about as a way of contributing towards making this genre more accessible to a wider audience and bringing inspiration and opportunity to potential upcoming talents.”
Applications open from 1 April and run until 1 August this year.
“South Africa possesses a special spirit that manifests in the way people engage with one another. There are still areas in South Africa where very few people have been exposed to classical music,” shares Artistic Director Nina Schumann. “The Mother City is a whole world in one city, meaning that it has the wherewithal to expose people from diverse backgrounds and remote communities to classical music in a ‘hip’ and relevant way.” she adds.
