The Concorso Pianistico Internazionale Rina Sala Gallo, held in Monza,
is one of Italy's established international piano competitions. Named after the pianist and Teacher Rina Sala Gallo,
the competition has a history dating back to 1947 and has provided a platform for successive generations of young pianists.
Its programme combines solo repertoire with a final orchestral round,
offering participants the opportunity to demonstrate different aspects of their musicianship.
Founded in 1947 by Rina Sala Gallo and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, the competition is regarded as Italy's oldest piano competition. Among its past winners are Angela Hewitt, Sofya Gulyak and Michail Lifits. In addition to its prizes, the competition offers concert opportunities and maintains a close connection with the city of Monza, where local families traditionally provide accommodation for participating pianists.
The 28th edition took place from 4 to 10 October 2026 at the Teatro Manzoni. From 132 applications, 24 pianists were selected to participate in a series of solo rounds, with three advancing to the orchestral final. The repertoire requirements ranged from Classical sonatas and Romantic works to contemporary music, including a compulsory work composed after 1950 in the semifinal round.
The international jury, chaired by pianist and musicologist Robert Levin, brought together performers, composers, scholars and music critics. The final took place on 10 October with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano conducted by Mattia Rondelli. Two finalists, Pei-Heng Jiang and Yangrui Cai, chose Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, while Karina Tseng performed Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor.
