A New International Stage for Piano in Eugene

For three evenings this October, Eugene will become an unlikely crossroads for some of the world’s most promising young pianists.

The inaugural Murdock International Piano Competition, presented by Oregon Piano Institute (Alexandre Dossin, artistic director) brings eight exceptional musicians from around the world to Beall Concert Hall at the University of Oregon for a high-stakes competition.

The response to the competition has already exceeded expectations. A remarkable 185 pianists from dozens of countries submitted audition videos, each hoping to earn a place in the live rounds. An international preliminary jury—pianists and educators Enrico Elisi, Eleonora Karpukhova, and Lisa Nakamichi—had the daunting task of narrowing that field.

Yuval Chen, David Choi, Solomon Ge, Chi-Jo Lee, Seongwoo Moon, Zhu Wang, Jialin Yao, and Huan Li will arrive in Eugene this week as semifinalists to compete for prizes, performance opportunities, and the chance to launch the next chapter of their professional careers.

The competition begins October 8 with an opening concert featuring four distinguished pianist-educators: Angela Cheng, Bernadene Blaha, Alvin Chow, and Steven Spooner. The following evening, all eight semifinalists will take the stage, with three advancing to the final round on October 10.

But the Murdock Competition is about more than finding a winner. Its top prize includes $7,000 and a series of future performance opportunities with regional orchestras and piano presenters. Every semifinalist receives an advancement award to help with travel, while the competition also shines a spotlight on composers through its Solo Piano Composition Award.

That award adds another element of discovery: a newly commissioned work, selected through an international call for scores, will receive its world premiere during the final round. Ivan Filipchyk’s Nocturne, Intermezzo and Postlude was selected for the inaugural competition and will be performed by all three finalists.

For Eugene audiences, that means something special: not simply hearing extraordinary pianists, but witnessing careers in motion—and perhaps discovering artists who will become tomorrow’s major names.

The Murdock International Piano Competition is, after all, just getting started.