The Piano Academy of Ireland (PAI) announces the return of its annual National Piano Festival! This year’s festival will take place March 17th-19th, 2022, and will be an all-virtual event for the third year in a row.

Those wishing to take part in the festival are invited to submit videos of their performances. While a shift from the majority of PAI festivals in the past, the virtual festival ensures the safety of all involved and also gives participants the opportunity to put their best pedal foot forward by submitting their top performances!

An Innovative and Creative Approach
PAI has long been an innovator in the field of piano and music education. In 2012, the academy’s annual festival was the first music competition anywhere in the world to offer Bitcoin as a prize. In March of 2020 when all other festivals & events were canceled or postponed, even at very short notice, the PAI team were ready to transition their Festival to online. 2021’s edition introduced a Limerick Writing Contest alongside the piano, in an effort to liven things up during times of great gloom, while also reaching a broader audience internationally. PAI has always pursued a creative approach to instruction and programming that is a cut above the rest. In a new twist to PAI’s forward-thinking virtual approach, the 2022 Festival will feature the minting of an exciting new NFT Leprechaun limited to 88 variations and will also offer a one-of-a-kind NFT prize to the top prize winners. 10% of the proceeds of the NFT sale will go to ‘Pianos For People’ - a non-profit organisation that gives free pianos & lessons to people who need it the most. Details on the NFT reveal to come soon!

An Opportunity for Learning and Inclusivity
As always, the festival will involve a top-tier adjudication process. This year's adjudicator is Roger McVey, graduate of Indiana University, Roger is Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Idaho and highly experienced in the  field of performance and adjudication. PAI prides itself on ensuring that the Festival is not only a dynamic learning opportunity for participants but ensuring a Festival feel is maintained, gaining both value and enjoyment out of the experience. With more than €1000 in prize money, gorgeous trophies, salvers and medals, as an inclusive event, each participant will receive both certificates and fun give-aways. Competition categories are diverse, inviting players of all levels and ages to take part with solo & duet categories from under 6 years all the way to Adult. As we are all more than aware of the challenges teachers have faced this past couple of years, this year’s motto is Appreciation - and participants will also be asked to submit a short “Thank their Teacher” video. 

Let the Festival Fun Begin!
Premiering as part of the St Patrick’s Day festivities, we ask each of our participants when making their videos, to wear their finest or funkiest GREEN attire! 

Deadline is March 6, 2022, so get cracking on those videos!!

https://www.pianoacademy.ie/rapidcartpro/payment-for-piano-festival.php?product/page/876/2022+Online+Festival+Registration


Go n-eirí an t-ádh libh, 


Rhona & Archie