LVPC and YLVPC 2026
The Lev Vlassenko Piano Academy is pleased to announce the 2026 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition and Young Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition.
Auditions will be held by submission of high quality recorded video, with First Rounds held in four capital cities – Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland (NZ).
Semifinals will be held in Brisbane, Australia on 27th and 28th June, 2026. Finals Performance with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra will be on 3rd July, 2026 at the Conservatorium Theatre, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Brisbane.
ELIGIBILITY
The Competitions are open to permanent residents or citizens of Australia or New Zealand; also applicants who are from another nation and have studied in Australia or New Zealand for at least one year, not necessarily music, preceding 3rd July 2026, and are not a previous first prize winner of the Competition.
Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition is open to pianists who, on the Finals date of the Competition, 3rd July, 2026 are aged at least 16 and no older than 30: you cannot have had your 31st birthday.
Young Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition is open to pianists who, on the Finals date of the Competition, 3rd July 2026, are aged at least 12 and no older than 17: you cannot have had your 18th birthday.
Competition auditions will be in the form of a single video performance to be played from memory and submitted as per the Requirements for Audition Videos. All works must be performed in a single take without editing except the Concerto movement which may be performed as an additional take, without editing.
Audition repertoire for Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition:
- Virtuoso Study by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov or Scriabin
- First Movement of a Classical Sonata by Mozart, Haydn or Clementi
- Work from the Specified List
- Major Work of at Least 15 minutes duration
- First Movement of the Concerto the Applicant has nominated to play in the finals
Audition repertoire for Young Lev Piano Competition:
- Bach Prelude and Fugue from Well Tempered Klavier
- Virtuoso Study by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov or Scriabin
- First Movement of a Classical Sonata by Mozart, Haydn or Clementi
- The Movement of the Concerto the Competitor has nominated to play in the finals
Requirements for all Audition Videos
- Applicants will be responsible for making their own audition video and must arrange venue, piano, video and accompanist themselves.
- Audition videos without piano accompaniment for the concerto will not be considered.
- The video must be a high-quality representation of the Applicant’s performance with the camera view showing the Applicant’s face, hands and keyboard at all times.
- Audition videos must have been recorded after 15 December 2025.
- Audition Videos must be certified by both the Auditionee and the person who operated the recording equipment that the performance is that of the Applicant, unedited and performed in one single complete take with the exception of the Concerto Movement which may, for practical reasons, be recorded as one take in a different venue and on a different date after 15 December 2025.
REPERTOIRE- LEV VLASSENKO PIANO COMPETITION (ages 16 to 30)
First Round Requirements:
Recital of 50 – 55 mins to be performed live which must include:
- A Prelude and Fugue by Bach or Shostakovich
- A Virtuoso Study by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov or Scriabin
- A Classical Sonata by Haydn, Mozart or Clementi
- A Romantic Work(s) from the Specified List
- and Own Choice of Work(s) if time permits
Semi-finals Round Requirements:
A 60 – 65 mins Recital to be performed live which must include:
- Major Work of at least 15 minutes duration
- Work by an Australian Composer of Own Choice
- Own Choice of Work(s) as time permits
Competitors must take note of the following:
- Works performed in First Round cannot be performed in Semi-finals Round
- All Works must be performed from memory
- Changes to nominated repertoire may be made up until 30th April, 2026
- No change can be made to the nominated piano concerto
- All sonatas must be performed in their entirety
- No works for prepared piano are permitted
REPERTOIRE LIST for LVPC
SPECIFIED LIST
Johannes Brahms
- Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21: No.1
- Variations on a Theme of Schumann, Op. 9
- Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35 either Book I or Book II or both Books
Frédéric Chopin
- Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
- Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38
- Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47
- Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
- Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20
- Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31
- Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39
- Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54
- Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante in E-flat major, Op. 22
- Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44
- Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49
- Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60
- Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61
César Franck
- Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV. 21
Franz Liszt
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor, S. 244/2
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 in D-flat major, S. 244/6
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 10 in E major, S. 244/10
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 in A minor, S. 244/11
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C-sharp minor, S. 244/12
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15 in A minor, S. 244/15
- Hungarian Rhapsody N0. 19 in D minor S.244
- Rhapsodie Espagnole, S. 254
- Années de pèlerinage, Première année: Suisse, S. 160: No. 6, Vallée d’Obermann
- Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie, S. 161: No. 7, Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata
- Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S. 173: No. 7, Funérailles
- Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S. 173: No. 3, Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude
- Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S. 171
- Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514
- Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie, Supplément, S. 162: Venezia e Napoli: No. 1, Gondoliera; No. 2, Canzona; No. 3, Tarantella (performed in its entirety)
Felix Mendelssohn
- Fantasia in F-sharp minor, Op. 28
- Variations sérieuses, Op. 54
Sergei Rachmaninov
- Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42
- Variations on a Theme of Chopin Op 22
Robert Schumann
- Abegg Variations, Op. 1
- Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13
Toccata, Op. 7
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Dumka: Russian rustic scene, Op. 59
- 6 Morceaux, Op. 19: No. 6 in F major, Theme and Variations
CONCERTO LIST for LVPC
Only concertos from this list may be performed during the Competition. All concertos must be performed in their entirety.
Béla Bartók
- Piano Concerto No. 3 in E major, Sz. 119, BB 127
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19
- Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op 37
- Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
- Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73
Frédéric Chopin
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
Edvard Grieg
- Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Franz Liszt
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, S. 124
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, S. 125
Felix Mendelssohn
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453
- Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
- Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467
- Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488
- Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503
- Piano Concerto No. 26 in D major, K. 537
Sergei Prokofiev
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat major, Op. 10
- Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26
Sergei Rachmaninov
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
- Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
- Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
Maurice Ravel
- Piano Concerto in G major, M. 83
Camille Saint-Saëns
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
Robert Schumann
- Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
REPERTOIRE- YOUNG LEV VLASSENKO PIANO COMPETITION (ages 12 to 17)
First Round Requirements:
Recital of 25 to 30 mins to be performed live which must include:
- Prelude and Fugue from Well Tempered Klavier by Bach
- Virtuoso Study by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov or Scriabin
- A First Movement of a Classical Sonata by Haydn, Mozart or Clementi
- Own Choice of Work(s) if time permits
Semi-finals Round Requirements:
Recital of 30 to 35 mins to be performed live which must include:
- Work by an Australian Composer
- Own Choice of Work(s) as time permits
Competitors must take note of the following:
- Works performed in First Round cannot be performed in Semi-finals Round
- All Works must be performed from memory
- Changes to nominated repertoire may be made up until 30th April, 2026
- No change can be made to the nominated piano concerto
- No works for prepared piano are permitted
- Changes to the nominated piano concerto cannot be made after your application has been received
CONCERTO LIST for YLVPC
Only concerto movements from this list may be performed during the Competition.
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
III. Rondo. Allegro scherzando - Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19
III. Rondo Molto allegro - Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
III. Rondo. Allegro – Presto
Frédéric Chopin
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
I. Allegro maestoso
Edvard Grieg
- Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
I. Allegro molto moderato
III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato – Quasi presto – Andante maestoso
Felix Mendelssohn
- Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
I. Molto allegro con fuoco in G minor; or
III. Presto. Molto allegro e vivace
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467
III. Allegro vivace assai - Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488
III. Allegro assai
Camille Saint-Saëns
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
III. Presto
Robert Schumann
- Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
I. Allegro affettuoso
Dmitri Shostakovich
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102
III. Allegro
