Since its foundation in 2004, the International Piano Competition "Repubblica di San Marino" attracts young pianists from all around the world to the city of Mount Titano, on the east coast of the Italian peninsula. The fourth edition will take place this year between September 16th and 26th, at the Teatro Concordia of Borgo Maggiore, Republic of San Marino. 

The event, held biennially, is promoted by Associazione Musicale Allegro Vivo with the support of Fondazione San Marino Cassa di Risparmio della Repubblica di San Marino – S.U.M.S. and Ente Cassa di Faetano, the patronage of San Marino’s Governement, the Secretary of State for Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Foreign Affairs. Among its musical partners, the Istituto Musicale of San Marino, the San Marino Symphony Orchestra, conducted this year by Philippe Entremont, and the Philarmonic Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale of Bologna.
The competition is divided in two sections: “Solists” and “Piano Duet" (both limited up to 30 years old). Testing of candidates, divided into preliminaries, semi-finals and finals, all open to the public, will last ten days and will be streamed to the sites www.allegrovivo.org and www.classicvoice.com First among the contest's main features, the partnership with a very distinguished name in the jazz piano world: Uri Caine, succeeding Chick Corea in 2008, has composed this years' compulsory pieces: Double Helix for piano duet and Aria, for piano and orchestra.

Total amount of prizes, 80,000 euro, is also quite impressive. 20,000 euros will be awarded to the first prize of the "Soloist" category, plus a two-year contract with management agency Studiomusica and CD recording by Naxos, and 8,000 euros to the first prize of the "Piano Duet" category - that explains the 'catalysis/catalytic effect' of competition on the young winners’ processes of artistic training and growth.
The competition has proved itself actually keen in recognising talent. Sofya Gulyak, won in 2004, Evgheny Brakhman in 2006 and Daniil Trifonov in 2008. Today, they are among the leading names of the new international piano scene: Sofya Gulyak, was awarded a second prize at the Busoni Competition in 2007, and has won this year at the Leeds International Piano Competition, first woman ever to win the prestigious award; Evgheny Brakhman was awarded both the Cleveland International Piano Competition in 2009, and Jose Iturbi in Los Angeles in 2007; Daniil Trifonov, who won in 2008 with an astonishing Third Piano Concerto op. 26 by Prokofiev, also won a Guzik Foundation Career Grant, and he’s currently engaged in an international tour (among whose venues, the Carnegie Hall) that will bring him back to Italy in May, for a concert at La Fenice Theater, in Venice.

Last but not least, the contest is renown for the level of its jury, among whose members, in the last years: Philippe Entremont, Arnaldo Cohen, Charles Rosen, Elissa Virsaladze, Michel Beroff, Idil Biret, Valentin Gheorghiu, Joseph Paratore, Enrico Peace, Boris Bloch, Andreas Groethuysen, Dario De Rosa, Michele Campanella, Laura De Fusco. This year will be no different, as the jury will be chaired by distinguished Polish pianist, renowned interpreter of Chopin, Adam Harasiewicz.
A comprehensive archive of news related to the competition's candidates, programmes, tests and rounds schedule will be updated in real time on Allegro Vivo's website (www.allegrovivo.com) and Classic Voice Online (www.classicvoice.com). Direct live streaming video will webcast all stages of the competition. The final will be broadcast live on RadioTre RAI.
The competition is a member of the Dutch Alink-Argerich Foundation, a reference for international piano competitions. Media partners of the event are RadioTre RAI, San Marino RTV and Sky Classica, as media partners.