The International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna is Austria’s oldest international piano competition, and ranks among the world’s most renowned music contests. Founded more than 50 years ago, it was hosted by mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna for the sixteenth time in 2021. Every four years selected young pianists meet in Vienna to give proof of their mastery of the instrument to an international jury and the Viennese audience.
In 2021, the competition set new standards with an innovative hybrid approach. 231 applicants from 40 nations applied for the competition. The first round, in which 34 talented musicians demonstrated their skill, took place virtually. The semi-finals as well as the final took place at the Vienna Musikverein.