Young Pianist Competition
The 24th Annual Blinn College District Young Pianist Competition will take place on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center on the Brenham Campus. The contest is open to students in grades 5-12 currently living in the State of Texas.
Contest Information
All applications and entry fees must be submitted by Monday, December 29, 2025, by completing the Young Pianist Competition Form.
- The entry fee is $40 per participant. All participants will receive detailed comment sheets from the judges and a rating somewhere between Division I (Superior Rating) through Division 5 (Needs Improvement). Entry fee payments can be made by check or credit card (note that credit card payments will incur a convenience fee in addition to the entry fee). Please indicate on the entry form which method of payment you wish to use, and detailed instructions will appear based on your selection.
- Awards (trophies) will be given to the top performers in each category. Overall awards for best performance and runner-up for the entire competition will be decided after all entries have been judged. Those participants will receive a Visa gift card valued at $250 (Overall Winner) or $150 (Runner-Up).
- Students in grades 11 or 12 that indicate an interest in attending Blinn College may also be offered the opportunity for a Blinn College District instrumental music scholarship, pending that student’s decision to attend and acceptance of all terms that relate to a college music scholarship.
- Students must perform two memorized pieces that are from contrasting style periods and are original solo piano compositions. Performance lengths for each category are as follows:
- Level 5/6 -- 11 minutes
- Level 7/8 -- 12 minutes
- Level 9/10 -- 13 minutes
- Level 11/12 -- 13 minutes
The esteemed judges for the for the 2025 competition are Dr. Lisa McCarroll of University of St. Thomas- Houston, Timothy Hester of The University of Houston, and Dr. Mihai Vatca of Sam Houston State University.