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2026 Bay PianoFest

Celebrating 5th Anniversary

08/04 - 08/13, 2026

The Bay PianoFest is a 10-days piano festival held at the

San Francisco Conservatory of Music, CA 
August 3 — August 13, 2026

  • 13 World Distinguished Artists 
  • Private Lessons
  • Daily Masterclasses
  • Artists Faculty Concerts
  • Professional Media Package

Program Highlights:

  • Special Topic Lectures
  • Faculty Workshops
  • Piano Performance Forum
  • Young Artist Series
  • Exclusive Access by attending the 2026 San Francisco International Piano Competition
Apply by March 15th
2025 Program Booklet (PDF)

  • Early Bird Deadline: March 1st, 2026 ($100)

    Final Deadline: March 15th, 2025 ($120)

    Applications will be received for admission results by March 25th, approximately two weeks after the application deadline. All admission results are sent to your email address as listed on the application form.

    Application Fee is Non-refundable 

  • Yoshikazu Nagai – San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Artistic Director) 

    Boris Berman – Yale University School of Music 

    Kathryn Brown – Cleveland Institute of Music

    HieYon Choi  – Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University 

    Alan Chow – The Eastman School of Music 

    Alvin Chow – Oberlin College and Conservatory 

    Enrico Elisi — Texas Christian University

    Douglas Humpherys – Eastman School of Music 

    Alexander Korsantia – New England Conservatory of Music/Yale University

    Jerome Lowenthal – The Juilliard School 

    Sharon Mann – San Francisco Conservatory of Music 

    Rebecca Penneys – Eastman School of Music (Emerita)

    Boris Slutsky – Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University /Yale University

    Artists Faculty Bio Detail, click here.

  • Two contrasting repertoire

    • One movement from a classical sonata (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert)

    • One Free Choice of the repertoire (Baroque, Romantic, or Contemporary)

    You may submit selection(s) from multi-movement works

    Total time: 10-20 minutes

    Audition Recording should be submitted via YouTube Link

    Piano Concerto movements are not acceptable.

  • Young Artists Program: Age 18-35

    Junior Artists Program: Age under 18

    Participants aged 12 and older are eligible and encouraged to apply. Exceptionally talented applicants under the age of 12 may apply.

    All participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents attending the festival with a child must purchase an auditor card.

  • Every selected participant will

    • 4 private lessons/masterclasses with the distinguished artists

    • Performance/Participate forum class

    • Faculty Workshops

    • Access to all masterclasses, lectures, concerts, piano forums, and events.

    • Young artist concerts

    • Professional Performance Media Package

    • Exclusive Access by attending the 2026 San Francisco International Piano Competition 

  • Tuition: $2700 USD

    Housing at San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Optional)

  • Housing at San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Optional): 

    Participants may choose to stay at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, which is same building as masterclasses, concert events, and practice rooms; or make their own housing arrangements.

    Festival rooms included shared rooms, single rooms, and suites for participants who come with their parents. You can request a specific roommate or the festival can randomly place you with another participant. 


    Shared room: $980 USD

    Single Room: $1380 USD 

    Shared Suite for family: $1680 USD  (One Junior+One Parent)

  • Fellowships
    All applicants are welcome to apply for fellowship consideration in addition to the standard application process.

    Application materials must include:

    • 50–60 minutes of video recordings featuring at least three contrasting stylistic periods, recorded within the last two years

    • One etude of virtuosity

    • One slow, lyrical work demonstrating musical artistry

    • Curriculum Vitae (CV)

    • At least one letter of recommendation from a current or former teacher familiar with the applicant’s musical accomplishments

    Fellowship awards provide a full tuition scholarship. Fellows are responsible for their housing and meals (on or off campus), as well as health service, facility, and refundable security deposit fees, and their own travel expenses.

  • Student Work Study Assistantship
    All applicants are welcome to apply for student work-study consideration alongside the standard application process.  Please include a brief letter of application and resume showing relevant work experience.  Responsibilities may include administrative support, translation, or other festival-related duties.

Apply by March 15th
A middle-aged man with glasses, wearing a gray suit and a colorful yellow tie, smiling while sitting indoors against a dark wood-paneled background.

Alan Chow

The Eastman School of Music

A close-up photo of a smiling man with short dark hair, wearing a black suit, a white shirt, and a patterned tie, in an indoor setting.

Jerome Lowenthal

The Juilliard School

Alvin Chow
Oberlin Conservatory

A man in a tuxedo with glasses, smiling in front of a grand piano.

Boris Slutsky

Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

A woman with curly blonde hair sitting at a table, holding a pen near her mouth, and smiling while listening to others.

Douglas Humpherys

Eastman School of Music

A smiling middle-aged man in a dark suit, white shirt, and at a news studio or office with a blue and brown background.

Sharon Mann

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

An older woman with short gray hair standing next to a grand piano on a stage with red theater seats in the background, smiling at the camera.

Enrico Elisi

Texas Christian University

A man in a dark suit and light blue shirt sitting at a piano, smiling at the camera.

Rebecca Penneys

Eastman School of Music

Kathryn Brown

Cleveland Institute of Music

A man in a tuxedo sitting at a grand piano, looking at the camera, with a serious expression.
A man wearing glasses, a patterned blue shirt, and a dark blazer, standing in front of a wooden wall with a decorative circular design.

2026 Faculty

Boris Berman

Yale University — School of Music

Yoshikazu Nagai

San Francisco Conservatory of Music
(Artistic Director)

Woman with black hair, wearing a black sweater, leaning against a wall in a modern indoor setting.
Close-up of a man with brown hair and a beard, smiling, wearing a black collared shirt, against a gray brick wall background.

HieYon Choi

Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

Alexander Korsantia

New England Conservatory/Yale

Distinguished Faculty Bio
Apply by March 15th

Gallery

  • Faculty Q&A
  • A man and a woman having a conversation beside a grand piano in a large room with glass windows; a banner for Bay PianoFest is visible in the background.
  • A music lesson taking place in a classroom with two grand pianos. A young man is playing the piano, and an older man, possibly a teacher or instructor, is sitting on a bench next to the second piano, gesturing and talking to the young man. The room has natural light, bookshelves, and framed pictures on the wall.
  • People sitting and laughing in a modern indoor space with large windows, wooden accents, and an exit sign.
  • A man and a boy playing piano in front of a seated audience at Bay PianoFest event.
  • A group of 13 people, mostly children and teenagers, standing in a line indoors in front of large windows with a view of city lights and a lit dome building at night. They are dressed in formal and semi-formal attire, smiling for the photo.
  • Six young adults standing together in front of a large window at night, with city lights in the background, posing for a photo indoors near a grand piano.
  • A man with white hair and glasses stands and speaks to a seated audience inside a modern building with large windows and wooden wall paneling. Several audience members are wearing face masks and listening to him.
  • Three women engaged in a piano lesson on a stage with a grand piano and a wood-paneled wall, two sitting and one standing.
  • An older man and a young man playing grand pianos in a music classroom, with posters on the wall behind them.
  • A woman is speaking and gesturing with her hands while sitting at a grand piano during a performance at Bay PianoFest. The event banner is visible on the left, indicating it is the 4th season, held from August 4 to August 13, 2024.
  • A woman playing a grand piano during a performance inside a room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a city skyline at dusk.
  • Four young women standing in a room with a grand piano, smiling and making heart shapes with their hands at night time.

Q&A

Where is location of the Bay PianoFest?

Bay PianoFest take place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco, California. USA. All participants will have the opportunity to learn from our distinguished faculty in this prestigious conservatory.

Can I observe the festival? 

Of course! We welcome auditors from around the world.

You can purchase a weekly pass for all events, or join us with a daily events pass. 

Program Auditor Pass:

Early Bird: $580 (Purchase before July 15th) 

Regular: $680 (Purchase after July 15th)

What are the requirements to participate in the Festival?

  • Submit an Application – Complete the online application form by the deadline.

  • Provide an Audition Recording – Submit a video recording that meets the festival's repertoire requirements.

  • Pay the Application Fee – Ensure the required application fee is submitted.

  • Receive Acceptance Notification – Wait for the admission decision and confirmation.

  • Complete Enrollment – If accepted, finalize registration, payment, and any necessary paperwork.

When will I receive the acceptance results? 

Applications will be received for admission results by March 25th, approximately two weeks after the application deadline. 

BPF Terms & Conditions
Apply by March 15th