Minsk Hosts International Piano Competition

For several days, Minsk became the capital of classical music with start of the International Piano Competition.

The opening ceremony of the Minsk-2026 International Piano Competition, now in its seventh year, took place in the Great Hall of the Belarusian State Philharmonic. This year, the organizers received over 100 applications from nine countries, an all-time record. However, of the 104 applicants, only 56 made it to the first round of the competition. This year, the competition is open to soloists aged 16 to 30.

"Each jury member has their own preferences. I'd like to hear talent. Because you can learn something through hours of practice—pedagogy is currently at a high level. Therefore, talent is a priority for me in my evaluation," noted Igor Olovnikov, People's Artist of Belarus and Chairman of the jury for the Minsk-2026 International Piano Competition. It's worth noting that in the final round, which will take place on April 9, the young virtuosos will perform in tandem with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Belarus. This year, the total prize fund will be approximately €30,000.