The Award is designed to test the breadth and versatility of each finalist's musicianship.

During the Award week, each finalist presents two public solo recitals, each up to 45 minutes. Across these performances, finalists are required to present repertoire from a range of periods and musical traditions, demonstrating their ability to engage with different styles, composers and musical languages.

The repertoire may include:

• Baroque music up to and including Johann Sebastian Bach
• Classical music after Bach, including the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert
• Romantic music from the 19th century up to and including 1900, excluding the music of Beethoven and Schubert
• French Impressionist music and other music composed from 1901 to 1950
• Music composed from 1951 onwards
• An Australian work

This breadth of repertoire is central to the Award. Across the week, finalists are challenged to demonstrate not only technical command, but also stylistic understanding, musical imagination and the ability to communicate across a diverse range of works.

The result is a week of performances that reveals the individuality and versatility of each pianist while giving audiences the opportunity to experience an extraordinary breadth of piano music.