Outstanding Pianists in New Orleans

Held concurrently with the annual New Orleans Keyboard Festival and Piano Institute, this year’s 29th biennial New Orleans International Piano Competition, sponsored by the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans, featured 12 jury-selected semifinalists from 207 applicants from all over the world. 
“We were so thrilled to have such a big turnout this year,” said Cara McCool Woolf, the Musical Arts Society’s executive and artistic director. Woolf, who is celebrating her 10th year as the head of the organization, noted that the 207 applicants was a record number for the competition. She also added that 28 separate countries were represented by these applicants.  “The competition is highly regarded for being very fair and excellent and people really want to come here,” Woolf said. “It puts New Orleans on the map in the world of classical piano. The whole point is to play an integral role for these young artists, giving them a chance to be heard on the international stage. And so that’s really what’s at the heart of our mission: to promote these emerging artists by giving them these opportunities.”
The competition is a community event. Local patrons house the visiting musicians in their private homes, and some also host dinners for the jury members.