Barletta - International Piano Competition "Premio Mauro Paolo Monopoli"

Organized by Cultura e Musica G. Curci – ETS, the Competition is held annually since 1997 in May at the magnificent Teatro Comunale Curci in Barletta , one of the most beautiful theaters in Italy, renowned for its exceptional acoustics.

The competition is dedicated to the memory of pianist Mauro Paolo Monopoli, who, despite being diagnosed with incurable leukemia, continued to give unforgettable piano recitals until his untimely death at just 21 years old. Established in 1997, the competition became a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) in 2025.

The competition consists of two solo rounds and a Final with Orchestra. It is carried out in collaboration with Città di Barletta, Regione Puglia, Ministero della Cultura, Nuovo Imaie and various private sponsors, including Buzzi Unicem and the Fondazione Nicolaus.

Prizes and Concerts
The competition offers cash prizes and a series of concert engagements provided by prestigious musical institutions.

Prestigious Jury Members
The competition's jury has included renowned figures such as: Lya De Barberiis, Sergio Perticaroli, Piero Rattalino, Andrej Jasinsky, Oxana Yablonskaja,  Susan Lin, Yuko Yamaoka, Piernarciso Masi, Daniel Rivera, Hector Pell, among others.

Past Winners
The past winners of the competition have gone on to enjoy successful international careers. 
Some of them include: Oliver Kern (Germany), Roberto Corlianò (Italy), Tchen Tzu-Yi (Taiwan), Kimberly Chen (USA), Anna Vinnitskaja (Russia), Yusuke Kikuchi (Japan), Vadim Ageev (Russia), Stanislav Khristenko (Russia), Yumi Sato (Japan), Scipione Sangiovanni (Italy), Galina Chistyakova (Russia), Alexander Panfilov (Russia), Anna Zaychenko (Russia), Ye Seul Kim (South Korea), Woo Jin Kim (South Korea), Evgeny Starodubtsev (Russia), Bartek Sklodowsky (Poland), Polina Sasko (Ukraine), Maria Narodytska (Ukraine), Kwon Kisuk (South Korea), Dominic Doutney (UK), Ho Khan Van (Vietnam), Rinaldy Caitlan (Australia), Zhiqiao Zhang (China).

Message from Maestro Carlo Maria Giulini
The esteemed Maestro Carlo Maria Giulini, former Honorary President of the Competition, expressed his hope for the young musicians taking part:
“With the hope that the Younger Generations will be at the service of Music and will know how to give, through Sound, what the Great Geniuses have created to enrich the Spiritual Life of Human Beings.”

2026 Edition
The 29th Edition will take place from May 5 to 10, 2026. The Regulations will be published by September 2025 on the official website www.culturaemusica.it.
The application to the Competition is totally free!! 
Application deadline is April 20th 2026.