Chopin Festival 2026
Overview
The Chopin Society of Houston is proud to offer the Chopin Festival for Adult Amateur Pianists this Fall on Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, 2026. It will be held at Kawai Piano Gallery. We are excited to have as our judges Sohyoung Park of Rice University and Alicja Fiderkiewicz, formerly of Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, UK.
The application is available in the store.
The Chopin Society of Houston is proud to offer the Chopin Festival for Adult Amateur Pianists this Fall on Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, 2026. It will be held at Kawai Piano Gallery. We are excited to have as our judges Sohyoung Park of Rice University and Alicja Fiderkiewicz, formerly of Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, UK.
The application is available in the store.
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Special Thanks to Kawai Piano Gallery for their generous use of the magnificent hall and Shigeru piano.
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Schedule
Friday
Special this year: Friday night recital by our judge Alicja Fiderkiewicz. Recital will be at 7pm at Kawai Piano Gallery. Program:
Saturday
Recital, 9:30am to 12:30pm
Live Performance
Lunch Break, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
The Society will provide lunch for all participants. Participants are encouraged to bring a beverage.
Lecture and Performance by Alicja Fiderkiewicz, 1:30pm to 2:00pm
Alicja will discuss Chopin's phrasing, legato and depth of sound.
Master Classes, 2:00pm to 5:30pm
Master classes will be held, in parallel, in the Concert Hall with the concert grand and the Shigeru Room with smaller grand. Each judge will give a 45-minute master class to the participant. All others are encouraged to attend and listen in on these informative classes.
Concert Hall
Shigeru Room
Sunday
Recital, 9:30am to 12:30pm
Live Performance
Lunch Break, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
The Society will provide lunch for all participants. Participants are encouraged to bring a beverage.
Lecture and Performance by Sohyoung Park, 1:30pm to 2:30pm
Sohyoung will discuss Chopin’s Virtuosity: Storytelling, Drama, and Climax in Op. 23 and Op. 10, No. 4
Master Classes, 2:20pm to 4:45pm
Master classes will be held, in parallel, in the Concert Hall with the concert grand and the Shigeru Room with smaller grand. Each judge will give a 45-minute master class to the participant. All others are encouraged to attend and listen in on these informative classes.
Concert Hall
Shigeru Room
Special this year: Friday night recital by our judge Alicja Fiderkiewicz. Recital will be at 7pm at Kawai Piano Gallery. Program:
- Schubert, Sonata in B-flat Major, D960
- Brahms, Three Intermezzi, Op 117
- Szymanowski, Two Preludes, Op 1 No 2 and 7
- Chopin, Two Nocturnes: C-sharp minor, Op 27, No 1 and F-sharp minor, Op 48, No 2
- Chopin, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op 60
Saturday
Recital, 9:30am to 12:30pm
Live Performance
- Bradford Sumner, Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat Major, Op. 61
- Malachi Balakrishnan, Scherzo in B-flat minor, Op. 31, Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1
- Zong Zhou, Waltz in F-Major (Grande Valse Brillante), Op. 34, No. 3, Waltz in F minor, Op. 70, No. 2, Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53
- Matthew Todd, Waltz in E-flat Major (Grande Valse Brillante), Op. 18
- Susan Letney, Berceuse in D-flat Major, Op. 57
- June Kim, Ballade in F minor, Op. 52
- Kristin Noble, Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. Posth., Waltz in D-flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1
- Paul Kesseler, Sonata in B minor, Op. 58, Movement 3
- Hersheth Aggarwal, Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55, No. 1
- Jennifer Watt, Etude in F minor, Op. 25, No. 2, Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72, No. 1
- William Garodnick, Ballade in A-flat Major, Op. 47
- Thang Dinh, Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1, Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2, Waltz in A minor, Op. Posth.
- Carol Dales, Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2
- Serge Marinkovic, Etude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 1; Etude in A minor, Op. 10, No. 2
Lunch Break, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
The Society will provide lunch for all participants. Participants are encouraged to bring a beverage.
Lecture and Performance by Alicja Fiderkiewicz, 1:30pm to 2:00pm
Alicja will discuss Chopin's phrasing, legato and depth of sound.
- Nocturne in F-sharp minor Op. 48, No. 2
- Barcarolle in F-sharp Major Op. 60
Master Classes, 2:00pm to 5:30pm
Master classes will be held, in parallel, in the Concert Hall with the concert grand and the Shigeru Room with smaller grand. Each judge will give a 45-minute master class to the participant. All others are encouraged to attend and listen in on these informative classes.
Concert Hall
- Matthew Todd, Live with Alicja Fiderkiewicz
- Kristin Noble, Live with Alicja Fiderkiewicz
- Susan Letney, Live with Sohyoung Park
- June Kim, Live with Sohyoung Park
Shigeru Room
- Malachi Balakrishnan, Live with Sohyoung Park
- Zong Zhou, Live with Sohyoung Park
- William Garodnick, Live with Alicja Fiderkiewicz
- Carol Dales, Remote with Alicja Fiderkiewicz
Sunday
Recital, 9:30am to 12:30pm
Live Performance
- Grace Huang, Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. Posth., Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10, No. 4, Sonata in B minor, Op. 58, Movement 4
- Rika Ikeoka, Waltz in A-flat Major, Op. 69, No. 1
- Sara Gilheart, Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55, No. 1, Mazurka in B-flat Major, Op. 7, No. 1
- David Hibbard, Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat Major, Op. 61
- Terri Siegel, Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Polonaise in A Major, Op. 40, No. 1
- Grace Henderson, Prelude in B-flat Major, Op. 28, No. 21, Ballade in G minor, Op. 23
- Mike Rydin, Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. Posth., Nocturne in B-flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1
- Ryan Dickey, Scherzo in C-sharp minor, Op. 39, Etude in E Major, Op. 10, No. 3
- Tony Tran, Polonaise in G-sharp minor, Op. Posth., Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1, Etude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 1
- John Schlorff, Variations Brilliantes in B-flat Major, Op. 12, Mazurka in B Major, Op. 63, No. 1, Mazurka in F minor, Op. 63, No. 2
- James Willsey, Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2
- Melissa Lema, Waltz in A minor, Op. Posth., Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72, No. 1, Waltz in E Major, Op. Posth.
- Malcom Cannon, Prelude in C Major, Op. 28, No. 1, Etude in F minor, Op. 25, No. 2, Etude in E minor, Op. 25, No. 5
- John Slaby, Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2
Lunch Break, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
The Society will provide lunch for all participants. Participants are encouraged to bring a beverage.
Lecture and Performance by Sohyoung Park, 1:30pm to 2:30pm
Sohyoung will discuss Chopin’s Virtuosity: Storytelling, Drama, and Climax in Op. 23 and Op. 10, No. 4
- Ballade in G Minor, Op. 23
- Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10, No.4
Master Classes, 2:20pm to 4:45pm
Master classes will be held, in parallel, in the Concert Hall with the concert grand and the Shigeru Room with smaller grand. Each judge will give a 45-minute master class to the participant. All others are encouraged to attend and listen in on these informative classes.
Concert Hall
- Grace Huang, Live with Sohyoung Park
- Grace Henderson, Live with Sohyoung Park
- Rika Ikeoka, Live with Alicja Fiderkiewicz
Shigeru Room
- Ryan Dickey, Live with Alicja Fiderkiewicz
- John Schlorff, Live with Alicja Fiderkiewicz
- Mike Rydin, Live with Sohyoung Park
The Chopin Festival for Adult Amateur Pianists is an opportunity to perform with like-minded amateurs before two respected judges who will provide written comments. There is also an opportunity to have a master class with a judge. The Kawai Piano Gallery has a large recital hall with a Shigeru Kawai grand on stage.
Typically, there is a recital in the morning followed by a lunch break. Lunch is provided. After lunch one of the judges will give a short lecture and performance. This is followed by several master classes which may be live or virtual. This schedule applies to both Saturday and Sunday.
Participants may play either live or record their performance. The entire event will be broadcast on Zoom (or equivalent). We expect to begin the event with the live performances followed by playing the submitted recordings.
The on-line application is available in our store. Select one of the two products: "Recital Only" or "Recital and Master Class". Within each product you may select "Live" or "Recorded" performance. If you choose "Recorded", provide a link to the site where the video may be downloaded (the link does not have to be submitted with the application and may be sent later via email).
The deadline for the application is October 9, 2026.
Deadline for receipt of the recorded performances is Saturday, October 17. You may submit your application without the recorded performance link and email the Society with the download link before October 17.
If you choose to record your playing, please get the best results possible. A smartphone can make a reasonable recording (be advised that placing the phone on the keyblock is not recommended; the video should be taken from a distance of several feet at least). If you use a video camera it is a good idea to disable the automatic sound level adjustment, if possible, so that dynamic levels of your playing can be clearly heard.
Typically, there is a recital in the morning followed by a lunch break. Lunch is provided. After lunch one of the judges will give a short lecture and performance. This is followed by several master classes which may be live or virtual. This schedule applies to both Saturday and Sunday.
Participants may play either live or record their performance. The entire event will be broadcast on Zoom (or equivalent). We expect to begin the event with the live performances followed by playing the submitted recordings.
The on-line application is available in our store. Select one of the two products: "Recital Only" or "Recital and Master Class". Within each product you may select "Live" or "Recorded" performance. If you choose "Recorded", provide a link to the site where the video may be downloaded (the link does not have to be submitted with the application and may be sent later via email).
The deadline for the application is October 9, 2026.
Deadline for receipt of the recorded performances is Saturday, October 17. You may submit your application without the recorded performance link and email the Society with the download link before October 17.
If you choose to record your playing, please get the best results possible. A smartphone can make a reasonable recording (be advised that placing the phone on the keyblock is not recommended; the video should be taken from a distance of several feet at least). If you use a video camera it is a good idea to disable the automatic sound level adjustment, if possible, so that dynamic levels of your playing can be clearly heard.
Recital
Recital participants are invited to perform a selection of one longer or several shorter contrasting compositions of Chopin up to the time limit of 15 minutes. Participants are NOT required to perform works from memory and may use original sheet music. There is no repertoire requirement other than the work must be by Chopin. Please note only original versions will be accepted – no transcriptions, no arrangements!
Participants will receive written comments from the judges as well as a certificate signed by the judges.
Master Classes
Master classes will be offered. Participants must select a composition by Chopin for instruction, preferably a piece performed during the recital. Please indicate preferred Master Class Presenter on the application form. Preferences will be filled in order of receipt of the applications.
Judges
We have two judges who will provide written evaluations for the recital, teach the master classes and perhaps give a short performance and lecture. We are excited to have as our judges Sohyoung Park of Rice University and Alicja Fiderkiewicz, formerly of Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, UK.
Recital participants are invited to perform a selection of one longer or several shorter contrasting compositions of Chopin up to the time limit of 15 minutes. Participants are NOT required to perform works from memory and may use original sheet music. There is no repertoire requirement other than the work must be by Chopin. Please note only original versions will be accepted – no transcriptions, no arrangements!
Participants will receive written comments from the judges as well as a certificate signed by the judges.
Master Classes
Master classes will be offered. Participants must select a composition by Chopin for instruction, preferably a piece performed during the recital. Please indicate preferred Master Class Presenter on the application form. Preferences will be filled in order of receipt of the applications.
Judges
We have two judges who will provide written evaluations for the recital, teach the master classes and perhaps give a short performance and lecture. We are excited to have as our judges Sohyoung Park of Rice University and Alicja Fiderkiewicz, formerly of Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, UK.