The North London Festival is very grateful to the Hampstead Garden Suburb Residents Association for sponsoring the 2024 competition. The Festival is grateful to Felix Appelbe who sponsored this competition until 2023.

Tuesday 30 April 2024

Hampstead Garden Suburb Free Church, Central Square, NW11 7AG

First Prize – £750, Second Prize – £250

Adjudicator – tbd

Entry fee £40, Closing date – tbc

This Piano Prize has been a component of the North London Festival since 2013. It is both a celebration of creativity centred around the piano repertoire, and a platform for talented pianists to exhibit their technical and artistic prowess.

The 2023 competition will be live (in person) and is open to pianists currently studying in the Senior Department of any UK Music College, Academy or Conservatoire.

As the Competition is very popular, we recommend early entry.

Entrants are to perform two contrasting pieces by different composers with a time limit of 15 minutes.
Entrants must also provide copies of the music for the adjudicator.

A spoken introduction to the musical programme is an integral part of the performance. It should include an announcement of each item and composer as well as giving details and points of interest about the music, or the background to the circumstances of, or reasons for, its composition. Notes may be used as long as they do not interfere with the sense of communication with the audience.

Both the spoken introduction and the performance must be within the 15-minute time limit. Both the introduction and the subsequent pacing and sequence of the programme will be taken into account in the adjudication.

Every entrant will receive a written adjudication sheet and a certificate of participation.

If an entrant has been a pupil of the Adjudicator in the year prior to the Festival or is well-known to the Adjudicator, they should contact the Section Administrator before entering.

At approximately 6 pm, there will be a short concert in the Free Church, at which winners and outstanding players may be invited to perform. When you enter, please indicate whether you would be available to perform, should you be invited to do so. Availability to perform at the evening concert will have no influence over the result; the Adjudicator will not be aware of whether entrants can perform at the concluding recital.

Please download the syllabus for piano classes –  2023 Piano Syllabus

The Grand Piano chosen and hired by the Festival for these performances is supplied and maintained by Steinway & Sons, London.

Please click on the link below for how to apply. The first time that you use the new entry system, you will need to register.

For full details of the piano competitions, please download the 2023 Piano Syllabus

2021, 2019 & 2018 APPELBE PIANO PRIZE PERFORMANCES

View extracts from the 2021 Appelbe Prize-winning performances, recorded by the players themselves.

View the performances from the 2019 and 2018 Appelbe Piano Prize Competitions together with interviews with Felix Appelbe and the adjudicators who explain what they are looking for from winning entries.