The Australian National Piano Award is a prestigious biennial event showcasing the finest emerging classical pianists in Australia.

Acclaimed for its international standard of excellence, the Award offers a platform for outstanding musicians aged 21 to 35 who are Australian citizens, permanent Australian residents or have lived in Australia for at least four of the five years prior to the Award.

For almost 35 years, Shepparton in regional Victoria has been home to the Award – a world-class piano festival that has become a cornerstone of Australia’s classical music scene.

Co-founded by the late Professor Max Cooke OAM and Darryl Coote, and administered by the Board of the Australian National Piano Award Shepparton Incorporated, the Award was created to uncover and celebrate the natural artistic talent and technical mastery of Australia’s next generation of concert pianists.

Unlike many piano competitions, finalists cannot win the Award with a single standout performance. Instead, they must perform a demanding and diverse range of solo recitals, demonstrating technical brilliance, expressive maturity and artistic depth across works by composers such as Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Messiaen, Vine and many others.

Every two years, a panel of esteemed adjudicators selects a group of finalists from submitted audition recordings. These finalists then compete in a week-long public recital series at Riverlinks Eastbank in Shepparton, in pursuit of over $75,000 in prize money.

The level of artistry expected is of true international calibre – finalists must cultivate the ability to connect audiences with some of the greatest moments in classical piano literature.

More than a competition, the Award is a significant educational and artistic milestone. It provides exposure, professional development and a vital stepping stone to international competitions and solo performance careers.

Managed by a dedicated team of volunteers, the Award remains an aspirational highlight of the classical music calendar and a powerful launchpad for Australia’s most formidable young pianists onto the world stage.