Hilton Head International Piano Competition Announces 2026 Winners

HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION 2026 ANNOUNCES WINNERS AT MARCH 21 FINALE

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30^th Anniversary competition showcases 20 pianists from 6 countries, ranging in age from 13-17, competing for a total of $25,000 in cash and a return engagement with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Please Contact: Steven Shaiman, Director, HHIPC, 843-842-5880, sshaiman@hhso.org

March 31, 2026 – Now celebrating its 30^th anniversary, the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (HHIPC) completed its 2026 competition on Saturday, March 21 with the third and final round featuring five finalists performing the first movement of a piano concerto with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra (HHSO) led by Maestro John Morris Russell.  At the awards ceremony later that evening, the jury granted first prize ($12,000, plus a return engagement with the HHSO) to 14-year-old South Korean pianist Jueon Lee, who performed the Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1.  Second prize ($6,000) was awarded to 14-year-old Chinese pianist Yixin Shen, who played Grieg’s Piano Concerto, and third prize ($3,000) was given to 13-year-old Australian pianist Charlie Wu, who performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.  Medalist prizes ($1,000 each) were awarded to two other finalists: Chenxi Cao (age 13, from China), and Kongyan Xin (age 17, from China).

            A native of Seoul, South Korea, Jueon Lee won First Prize at the 2025 Steinway Youth Piano Competition Southeast Asia-Pacific Regional Finals in Bangkok. He was invited to the Steinway Festival in Hamburg, Germany and performed in Laeiszhalle’s Grand Hall. In 2024, he won prizes at the Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany and the Ishikawa International Piano Competition in Japan.  In summer 2026, he returns to the US as a competitor for both the Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition and the Cleveland International Young Artists Piano Competition.

            Mr. Lee was selected as the winner by a jury panel of internationally renowned pianists and pedagogues, including: jury chair Ian Hobson (United Kingdom/USA);  Angela Cheng (Hong Kong/Canada); Marian Hahn (USA); Spencer Myer (USA); and Daria Rabotkina (Russia/USA).  In announcing the five finalists on Thursday evening, Mr. Hobson praised all 20 young competitors, citing “the tremendous talent we heard” and he added, “considering that these young people are between 13 and 17 years old, it’s even more remarkable.”

            The HHIPC 2026 began on Monday, March 16, with 20 pianists ranging from age 13 to 17, representing 6 different countries.  Each competitor performed two rounds of short solo recitals at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, after which the jury selected five finalists, each of whom performed the first movement of a major piano concerto with the HHSO on Saturday night, March 21 at First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head.  The awards ceremony was held immediately after the finals concert, with announcement of the prizes by the jury chair Ian Hobson and HHIPC Director, Steven Shaiman.

            Director Shaiman, says, "We congratulate Jueon on his outstanding performances in all three rounds of the competition, and we are already looking forward to welcoming him back in February 2027, when he will play Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in two performances with the HHSO.  I must also praise all 20 of our impressive young pianists who played for us this past week, because their performance level was exceedingly high across the board!  On behalf of everyone at the HHIPC and our distinguished jury, we thank all the competitors and prize winners for their dedication and their artistry, and we congratulate each of them!”

            Along with the prizes already mentioned, two additional discretionary prizes were also announced at Saturday night’s ceremony.  The first was the Sascha Gorodnitzki Memorial Prize, a jury discretionary award given to the “most promising non-finalist,” with a trophy and a $1,000 check given to competitor Junye Huang (age 14, from China).  The second was the Peter Takács Classical Sonata Prize, a jury discretionary award given for the “best performance of a complete sonata by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert,” and that trophy and $1,000 check was awarded to competitor David Gatien (age 16, from the United States).

            HHSO Music Director John Morris Russell added, “Over the last 30 years, the HHIPC has become a jewel in the cultural crown of the Lowcountry, and we are extremely proud that the classical piano world focuses its attention on Hilton Head every March, as we provide significant performing experiences to the most talented young pianists from across the globe.”

About the Hilton Head International Piano Competition: The Hilton Head International Piano Competition celebrates 30 years in 2026.  Now established as one of the leading international piano competitions in the United States, the HHIPC operates with a three-year rotation of events: an adult competition for pianists 18–30 years of age, a young artist competition for pianists 13–17 years of age, and a festival—BravoPiano!—which showcases past prize winners and other prominent keyboard artists performing music ranging from classical to jazz.  The HHIPC, inaugurated by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in 1996, draws applicants, artists, and audiences from numerous countries the world over, and many HHIPC artists are now enjoying thriving professional careers.

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Please contact Steve Shaiman for more details and/or photos and other graphic images: sshaiman@hhso.org or 843-842-5880.

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