nashville 2026

October 9–10, 2026 · collins auditorium, lipscomb university (nashville, tn) · schedule subject to change

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results

finalists

Benjamin Alwes, Jim Chou, Diana Cusano, Robert Finley, Gorden Cheng, Abraham Wilson, Charl de Wet, Michael Slavin, Jonathan Shih

final standings

special awards

impromptu — Jonathan Shih

nocturne — Robert Finley

scherzo — Diana Cusano

mazurka — Mark Cannon

livestream · ↗ fri · first round · ↗ sat · final

times shown in your local timezone

Friday, October 935

1:30 PM

Grant Gayle

first round · Fort Worth, Texas · environmental engineer

program

Chopin: Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 45
: Prelude in C major, Op. 28 No. 1
: Prelude in G minor, Op. 28 No. 22

Scarlatti: Sonata in A minor, K. 175

Sibelius: Impromptu in B minor, Op. 5 No. 5

Chopin: Étude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12

1:50 PM

J. Rándal Ortiz

first round · Bucaramanga, Colombia · School Discipline Coordinator and Business Director

program

J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847 WTC I

Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras Nº 4 -Ária (Cantiga)

Chopin: Étude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor

2:05 PM

Max Sung

first round · New York, New York · Physician

program

Chopin: Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60
: Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39

2:25 PM

Gorden Cheng

first round · San Diego, CA · Digital Asset Manager

program

Chopin: Waltz Op. 34 No. 1 in A-flat major

Debussy: L'isle joyeuse

Kapustin: Étude Op. 40 No. 1

2:45 PM

Hiko Sakamoto

first round · Nishinomiya, Japan · software engineer

program

Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 1
: Étude in C major, Op. 10 No. 1
: Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38

3:05 PM

Abraham Wilson

first round · Indianapolis, Indiana · Product Manager

program

Chopin: Nocturne Op. 27 No. 1

Bach-Busoni: Toccata and Fugue in D minor

3:25 PM

Ian Roy

first round · Nuneaton · Engineer Analyst

program

Chopin: Study in A-flat, Op. 25 No. 1

Chaminade: L'Automne

Ravel: Jeux d'eau

3:45 PM

Shinhye Kim

first round · Daegu, South Korea · Psychologist

program

Chopin: Waltz in F major, Op. 34 No. 3
: Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23

Kapustin: Concert Étude in C major, Op. 40 No. 1

4:05 PM

Break

4:25 PM

Sandra Baumgarten

first round · Nampa, Idaho

program

Beethoven: Sonata, No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, Mvt III

Chopin: Polonaise in A-flat major Op. 53

4:45 PM

Michael Slavin

first round · Manhasset, New York · Retired neuro-ophthalmologist

program

Chopin: Nocturne in F-sharp major, Op. 15 No. 2
: Ballade in F minor, Op. 52

5:05 PM

Kate Lo

first round · Austin, Texas · Retired engineer

program

J.S. Bach: Partita No. 2 in C minor (BWV 826), Sinfonia

Chopin: Polonaise No. 1 Op. 26

5:20 PM

Carl Di Casoli

first round · Sudbury, Massachusetts (Boston area) · Head of biometrics for Chinese pharmaceutical company

program

Chopin: Étude Op. 10 No. 5 in G-flat major “Black Keys”
: Étude Op. 10 No. 10 in A-flat major

Rachmaninoff: Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor (1931 version), Op. 36
II. Non allegro — Lento
III. L’istesso tempo — Allegro molto

5:40 PM

Chia Ying Lee

first round · Boston, MA and Singapore · AI Research Scientist

program

Chopin: Sonata in B minor, Op. 58, 3rd and 4th movements

6:00 PM

Jonathan Shih

first round · Seattle, Washington · product designer

program

Haydn: Sonata in F major, Hob. XVI:23: I. [Allegro]

Chopin: Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp major, Op. 36

Lili Boulanger: D'un jardin clair

Kapustin: Eight Concert Études, Op. 40: No. 2 "Reverie"

6:20 PM

Yun Liang

first round · Michigan · Professor

program

Chopin: Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68 No. 4 (sketch completed by Jan Ekier)
: Mazurka in B minor, Op. 33 No. 4

Medtner: Acht Stimmungsbilder, Op. 1 No. 5
: Acht Stimmungsbilder, Op. 1 No. 7

6:40 PM

Jim Chou

first round · New York · Physician

program

Chopin: Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 42
: Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

7:00 PM

Break

7:45 PM

Mark Cannon

first round · Larchmont, New York · psychiatrist

program

Chopin: Mazurka in C minor, Op. 30 No. 1

Scriabin: Sonata No. 10, Op. 70

8:05 PM

Robert Finley

first round · Northborough Massachusetts · Retired elecronics engineer

program

Chopin: Nocturne Op. 48 No. 1 in C minor
: Trois Nouvelles Études No. 2 in A-flat major
: Waltz Op. 34 No. 1 in A-flat major

8:25 PM

Yuchao Zhou

first round · Redwood City, California · Software Engineer

program

Chopin: Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47

Liszt: Transcendental Étude No. 10 in F minor, S. 139 No. 10

8:40 PM

Charl de Wet

first round · St Louis, Missouri · Anesthesiologist and Critical Care Physician

program

Rachmaninoff: Prelude in C minor, Op. 23 No. 7

Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

9:00 PM

Yuki Kitayama

first round · Niigata, Japan · Data Scientist

program

Schumann: Kinderszenen: No. 7 "Träumerei" in F major, Op. 15

Liszt: Consolation No. 3 in D-flat major, S. 172

Chopin: Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 28 No. 15

9:15 PM

William Bloomquist

first round · Riva, Maryland · Pastor

program

Beethoven: Sonata in A, Op. 2 No. 2 - Allegro Vivace

Chopin: Barcarolle in F-sharp, Op. 60

9:35 PM

Vincent C. Phillips

first round · Charlotte, NC · retired Anesthesiologist

program

Chopin: Fantaisie in F minor Op. 49

9:55 PM

Aaron Miller

first round · Los Angeles, California · academic administrator

program

Chopin: Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2

Brahms: Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118 No. 2

Janáček: In the Mists: IV. Presto

10:15 PM

Break

10:35 PM

Wen-Yee Ho

first round · Concord, Massachusetts · retired university lecturer

program

Chopin: Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 55 No. 2

Rachmaninoff: Étude-Tableau in C major, Op. 33 No. 2

Liadov: Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 57 No. 1

Chopin: Mazurka in A minor, Op. 67 No. 4

10:55 PM

Benjamin Alwes

first round · Chicago, IL

program

Chopin: Étude Op. 25 No. 1
: Mazurka Op. 67 No. 4

Schumann: Selections from Fantasiestücke Op. 12
#2 "Aufschwung"
#3 "Warum?"
#7 "Traumes Wirren"

11:15 PM

Diana Cusano

first round · Louisville, Kentucky · Epidemiologist and Mom

program

Cécile Chaminade: Pièces Humoristiques Op. 87 No. 4 ‘Autrefois’ in A minor

Chopin: Scherzo No. 1, Op. 20 in B minor

11:35 PM

Jim Lees

first round · Chattanooga, Tennessee · Waiter

program

Gottschalk: The Dying Poet

Chopin: Étude in C minor, Op. 25 No. 12, "Ocean"

11:50 PM

Break

12:05 AM

Wei Ling Wang

first round · Dallas, Texas · Engineer

program

Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor, K. 213

Chopin: Waltz in A minor, Op. 34 No. 2

Mompou: Paisajes, No. 2 El Lago (Landscapes, No. 2 The Lake)

12:25 AM

Nicole Lee

first round · Portland, Oregon, USA · Parent and Community Volunteer

program

Chopin: Waltz in E minor, posthumous

Debussy: Preludes: Voiles
: Ondine
: Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest

12:45 AM

Vivian Ku

first round · Ann Arbor, Michigan · stay-at-home mom

program

Mozart: Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K457 (1st movt)

Chopin: Nocturne No. 5 in F-sharp major, Op. 15 No. 2

Debussy: Suite bergamasque, L.75: I. Prelude

Saturday, October 1011

3:00 PM

Gorden Cheng

final · San Diego, CA · Digital Asset Manager

program

Beethoven: Sonata Op. 110, III. Adagio ma non troppo

Chopin: Polonaise Op. 53

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

3:30 PM

Abraham Wilson

final · Indianapolis, Indiana · Product Manager

program

J.S. Bach: Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830: V. Sarabande

Decaux: Clairs de Lune: IV. La Mer

Chopin: Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp major, Op. 36

Scriabin: Fantasie in B minor, Op. 28

4:00 PM

Michael Slavin

final · Manhasset, New York · Retired neuro-ophthalmologist

program

Ravel: Miroirs. 3. Une Barque Sur L'Océan

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13

Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G minor Op. 23

4:30 PM

Jonathan Shih

final · Seattle, Washington · product designer

program

Chopin: Variations brillantes, Op. 12

Shih: Prelude in G minor, Op. 1 "By the Sea"

Paderewski: Nocturne in B-flat major, Op. 16 No. 4

Chasins: Prelude No. 14 in E-flat minor, Op. 12 No. 2

Dutilleux: Piano Sonata: III. Choral et variations

5:00 PM

break

5:20 PM

Jim Chou

final · New York · Physician

program

Chopin: Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58

5:50 PM

Robert Finley

final · Northborough Massachusetts · Retired elecronics engineer

program

Chopin: Ballade No. 2 in F major
: Impromptu No. 3 Op. 51 in G-flat major
: Mazurka Op. 50 No. 2 in A-flat major
: Polonaise-Fantaisie Op. 61 in A-flat major

6:20 PM

Charl de Wet

final · St Louis, Missouri · Anesthesiologist and Critical Care Physician

program

Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61

Scriabin: Fantasie in B minor, Op. 28

Rachmaninoff: Prelude in D major, Op. 23 No. 4

6:50 PM

Benjamin Alwes

final · Chicago, IL

program

Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 14 in A minor D. 784 1. Allegro giusto

Arno Babajanian: Poem

Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor Op. 52

7:20 PM

Diana Cusano

final · Louisville, Kentucky · Epidemiologist and Mom

program

Einojuhani Rautavaara: Pelimannit (Fiddlers), Op. 1, III. Klockar Samuel Dickström

Scarlatti: Sonata in A major, K. 101, L. 494
: Sonata in E minor, K. 98, L. 325

Chopin: Polonaise in G-sharp minor (posthumous.)

Beethoven: Sonata Op. 27 No. 1 ’Sonata quasi una Fantasia’ in E-flat major

8:00 PM

Awards (approx.) · ends ~3:30

the preliminary round was a video screening · ↗ official competition page