oberlin 2026

July 23–30, 2026 · warner concert hall, oberlin conservatory — oberlin, oh · tentative schedule

Spot an error? Email theboringpianist@gmail.com

livestream

streaming links coming soon · ↗ official festival page

times shown in your local timezone

Thursday, July 234
5:00 PM
Registration — Conservatory Student Lounge
01
7:00 PM
Welcome — Conservatory Lounge
02
7:30 PM
Piano trials
03
11:00 PM
Piano trials
04
Friday, July 244
5:30 PM
Preliminary round — block 1
05
7:30 PM
Preliminary round — block 2
06
10:00 PM
Semifinalist announcement
07
12:00 AM
Faculty forum — Collaborative Playing
08
Saturday, July 255
1:30 PM
Semifinal round — block 1
09
5:30 PM
Semifinal round — block 2
10
8:30 PM
Finalist announcement & masterclass assignments
11
10:30 PM
Master classes
12
12:15 AM
Master classes
13
Sunday, July 265
1:00 PM
Final round
14
5:30 PM
Award ceremony
15
6:00 PM
Master classes
16
8:00 PM
Master classes
17
11:30 PM
Guest concert — Jon Shih, 2025 First Prize Winner
program
Grieg
Holberg Suite, Op. 40: I. Praeludium
Grief
Lyatoshynsky
Prelude, Op. 44, No. 4
Coates
In Memoriam: I. Angelus
N. Boulanger
Vers la vie nouvelle
Nature
Griffes
The Fountain of the Acqua Paola (from Roman Sketches, Op. 7, No. 3)
Price
Clouds
Shih
Prelude in G minor, Op. 1 "By the Sea"
The Soul
Scriabin
Sonata No. 3 in F-sharp minor, Op. 23
I. Drammatico
II. Allegretto
III. Andante
IV. Presto con fuoco
18
Monday, July 275
3:00 PM
Master classes
19
6:00 PM
Master classes
20
8:00 PM
Phrase Structures and Tonal Harmony, Part I — Andrew Pau
21
11:00 PM
Fortepianos: What Can We Learn from Old Pianos? — David Breitman
22
12:30 AM
Faculty forum — How to Play Concertos with Orchestra Parts
23
Tuesday, July 284
4:00 PM
Outreach concert — Cleveland Clinic
24
8:00 PM
Outreach performance — Kendal at Oberlin
25
10:30 PM
Master classes
26
12:15 AM
Master classes
27
Wednesday, July 293
3:00 PM
Phrase Structures and Tonal Harmony, Part II — Andrew Pau
28
7:30 PM
Festival Concert I
29
11:30 PM
Festival Concert II
30