What is the Distinguished Piano Scholar Competition?

The Raleigh Piano Teachers Association (RPTA) Distinguished Piano Scholar Competition is a premier event designed to encourage high-level, artistic performance and well-rounded musicianship in young pianists aged 14–18.

Unlike traditional performance-only events, this comprehensive competition evaluates a student's total musical proficiency. Participants earn up to 100 total points across five distinct areas, each worth 20% of their final score:

• Repertoire Performance: Presenting three solo pieces across contrasting stylistic periods, including a designated required piece for the year.

• Interview: Discussing the history, form, and stylistic characteristics of their selected repertoire.

• Technical Skills: Demonstrating mastery of major and minor scales, arpeggios, cadence chords, and advanced keyboard patterns.

• Sight Reading: Performing upper-intermediate level musical excerpts on the spot.

• Ear Training & Theory: Completing ear training exercises (cadences, dictation) and a written harmonic analysis.

Prize & Honors

The competition winner receives a $500 cash prize and the honor of performing at the Young Artist Auditions (YAA) Honors Recital (usually in March), complete with special recognition and a featured biographic program insert.

❓For any questions, please reach out to Dr. Hexin Qiao (Competition Chair) at qiaohexin@hotmail.com