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Johann Sebastian Bach International Piano Competition

The Johann Sebastian Bach International Piano Competition was an American piano competition that took place in Washington, D.C.[1][2] Founded by Raissa Tselentis[3] in 1959 with help from philanthropist David Lloyd Kreeger, the competition took place every 4 years at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University.[4][5]

The competition was compared by The Washington Post as of similar statue as that of the Van Cliburn Piano Competition or International Tchaikovsky Competition for its time.[2] Winners could win up to $5,000-10,000 (about $20,000-40,000 in 2026) and often have gone on to play with orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony.[1][6] The 25th anniversary was held in memory of Glenn Gould, and featured many of the world's leading pianists as judges.[6] Repertoire consists of 3 rounds, that require music by Johann Sebastian Bach that include his Well-Tempered Clavier, Partitas, and Goldberg Variations.

The competition was one of the first to hold blind playing, as to prevent sexism and bias from the judges. This creating a surge of young women pianists winning the competition, leading to adequacy for women pianists. This attribute of the composition was featured prominently in Time Magazine, as well as Music Critic Paul Hume writing, "it took the Goldbergs to separate the women from the men."[1]

Charles Fisk played for the United States then-president Jimmy Carter at the White House directly after the competition.[7]

Winners and jury

Winners have included the following:

Jury have included the following:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Contests: Sex & Bach". Time Magazine. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d "New Orleans Man Wins Bach Contest". The Washington Post. 1983-09-26. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  3. ^ "RAISSA TSELENTIS, 86, DIES". The Washington Post. 1994-07-15. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  4. ^ a b "Winning Variations". The Washington Post. 1980-06-09. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  5. ^ "BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK BACH". The Washington Post. 1993-07-01. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  6. ^ a b "Bach On Keys". The Washington Post. 1983-06-27. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  7. ^ a b c "Bach-Fest's Queen". The Washington Post. 1985-06-28. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  8. ^ The Curtis Institute of Music (1974). Overtones fiftieth anniversary issue 1974. The Curtis Institute of Music. [Philadelphia, Pa.] : The Institute. pp. 98–99.
  9. ^ "Contests: Sex & Bach".
  10. ^ lorinewman13 (2011-06-26). "Seán Duggan, piano". New Mexico Philharmonic. Retrieved 2026-01-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Los Angeles International Piano Competition". www.laipc.org. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  12. ^ Min, Ji H. (5 June 1986). "A Gift From God". www.thecrimson.com. The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
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