Piano

Coronavirus

The WMF committee has very reluctantly decided not to hold a “live” festival this year. Instead, entrants will make recordings of their performances, upload them to cloud storage, share them and send us links which will be forwarded to the adjudicators so that they can comment on and grade the performances.

We regret that this means that the performances will not be publicly available and cups and  trophies normally presented during the Festival sessions will not be awarded this year.  A decision about whether to hold the Young Musician Competition in February and to award the other major trophies will be taken after the festival.

Please enter as usual by the closing date of 4th October, 2020 and you will receive an e-mail confirming your entry.

You’ll receive a second e-mail a day or two after the closing date with information about your entry that you can use to complete the video submission form. This form must be completed by 7th November.

You should make a video recording of your performance for each class that you have entered. Upload it to a suitable platform, making appropriate privacy settings, and send us the link. Please do not send us the recording itself. Advice on making and submitting recordings is available elsewhere on this site.

These links will be forwarded to the adjudicators who will grade and comment on the performances.

When we receive the mark sheets back, we will send them on to you.

If you have any queries about this process, please get in contact with the Piano section secretary.

  • The age of performers is reckoned as on 1st September.
  • Please state your choice of piece on the entry form.
  • A copy of all parts, including examination class pieces, must be produced for the adjudicator in all classes.

Time limits must be adhered to in fairness to all — we do not wish to stop performers so please do not choose pieces that extend beyond the time limit.

Guide To All Solo Classes

Preliminary: approx Grade 1 standard
Primary: approx Grade 2 standard
Junior: approx Grade 3 standard
Intermediate: approx Grades 4 and 5 standard
Advanced: approx Grades 6 and 7 standard
Senior: approx Grade 8 standard and over

These grades relate to the standard of music rather than a grade examination that has been passed or is being prepared. It is important that performers enter the appropriate class according to their standard.

Non-competitive/Beginners

C001: Piano (non competitive) – under 7yrs
Own choice
Time limit: 2 minutes
Fee: £6

C002: Piano (non competitive) – under 11yrs
Own choice
Time limit: 2 minutes
Fee: £6

C003: Piano (non competitive) – under 17yrs
Own choice
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7

C004: Piano (non competitive) – 17yrs and over
Own choice
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £8

C005: Piano (non competitive) – 50yrs and over
Own choice
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £8

C006: Piano – beginners – under 8yrs
Own choice. For pianists with not more than 4 terms’ tuition on 1 November.
Time limit: 2 minutes
Fee: £6 
Festival Medal

C007: Piano – beginners – under 10yrs
Own choice. For pianists with not more than 4 terms’ tuition on 1 November.
Time limit: 2 minutes
Fee: £6 
Festival Medal

C008: Piano – beginners – under 16yrs
Own choice. For pianists with not more than 4 terms’ tuition on 1 November.
Time limit: 3 minutes
Fee: £7

C009: Piano – beginners – under 21yrs
Own choice. For pianists with not more than 4 terms’ tuition on 1 November.
Time limit: 3 minutes
Fee: £7

C010: Piano – beginners – 21yrs and over
Own choice. For pianists with not more than 4 terms’ tuition on 1 November.
Time limit: 3 minutes
Fee: £7

Grade classes

In classes C011 to C019, a festival medal will be presented to winners under 12 years of age.

Performers may only enter one of classes C011 to C018

C011: Piano – Grade 1
Any one or two pieces from a current Grade 1 examination syllabus
Fee: £6

C012: Piano – Grade 2
Any one or two pieces from a current Grade 2 examination syllabus
Fee: £6

C013: Piano – Grade 3
Any one or two pieces from a current Grade 3 examination syllabus
Fee: £6

C014: Piano – Grade 4
Any one or two pieces from a current Grade 4 examination syllabus
Fee: £7

C015: Piano – Grade 5
Any one or two pieces from a current Grade 5 examination syllabus
Fee: £7

C016: Piano – Grade 6
Any one piece from a current Grade 6 examination syllabus
Fee: £7

C017: Piano – Grade 7
Any one piece from a current Grade 7 examination syllabus
Fee: £8

C018: Piano – Grade 8
Any one piece from a current Grade 8 examination syllabus
Fee: £8

Performers may only enter one of classes C019 to C024

C019: Piano – preliminary
Own choice (approx Grade 1 standard of music)
Time limit: 3 minutes
Fee: £6

C020: Piano – primary
Own choice (approx Grade 2 standard of music)
Time limit: 3 minutes
Fee: £6
The Kathleen Grainger Cup

C021: Piano – junior
Own choice (approx Grade 3 standard of music)
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7
The Meredith Cup

C022: Piano – intermediate
Own choice (approx Grades 4 and 5 standard of music)
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7
The Cheung Cup

C023: Piano – advanced
Own choice (approx Grades 6 and 7 standard of music)
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £8
The Croft Shield

C024: Piano – senior
Own choice (approx Grade 8 standard and over of music)
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £8
The Olive Croft Memorial Trophy

Sonatina and Sonata

C025: Sonatina – under 14yrs
Own choice of one movement from any sonatina.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £7
The Peter Newman Cup for the best performance of C025, C026 and C027

C026: Sonatina – under 17yrs
Own choice of one movement from any sonatina.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £7
The Peter Newman Cup for the best performance of C025, C026 and C027

C027: Sonatina – 17yrs and over
Own choice of one movement from any sonatina.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £8
The Peter Newman Cup for the best performance of C025, C026 and C027

C028: Sonata – under 19yrs
Own choice. One movement of a sonata.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £9
The Hilda Spencer Cup

C029: Sonata – open
Own choice. One movement of a sonata.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £10
The Mongor Cup

Modern

C030: Modern – under 17yrs
Own choice of item by 20th or 21st century composer.
Time limit: 6 minutes
Fee: £8

C031: Modern – open
Own choice of item by 20th or 21st century composer.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £10

Challenge

In classes C032 to C036 performers must submit works of sufficiently high merit and standard of difficulty.

C032: Piano – Challenge – under 11yrs
Own choice – at least Grade 2 standard.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £7
The Lomax Cup

C033: Piano – Challenge – under 14yrs
Own choice – at least Grade 5 standard.
Time limit: 7 minutes
Fee: £8
The Barber Cup

C034: Piano – Challenge – under 17yrs
Own choice.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £10
The Woking Opinion Cup

C035: Piano – Challenge – under 20yrs
Own choice.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £10
The Fedder Cup

C036: Piano – Challenge – open
Own choice.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £10
The Askew Bowl

Recital

C037: Piano Recital – under 14yrs
Own choice of two or three pieces from different periods and in contrasting styles.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £12
The Buzzard Cup

C038: Piano Recital – under 18yrs
Own choice of two or three pieces from different periods and in contrasting styles.
Time limit: 15 minutes
Fee: £15
The Penny Bazire Memorial Cup

C039: Piano Recital – under 20yrs
Own choice of two or three pieces from different periods and in contrasting styles. The performer should give a short spoken introduction to each one.
Time limit: 15 minutes
Fee: £18
The Cavenham Cup for the best performance of C039 and C049

C040: Piano Recital – open
Own choice of two or three pieces from different periods and in contrasting styles. The performer should give a short spoken introduction to each one.
Time limit: 15 minutes
Fee: £20
The Cavenham Cup for the best performance of C039 and C049

English

C041: English Class – intermediate
Any one or two pieces by an English composer from any period (approx Grades 4 and 5 standard of music)
Time limit: 6 minutes
Fee: £8

C042: English Class – advanced
Any one or two pieces by an English composer from any period (approx Grades 6 and 7 standard of music)
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £9

C043: English Class – open
Any one or two pieces by an English composer from any period
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £12

French

C044: French Class – intermediate
Any one or two pieces by a French composer from any period (approx Grades 4 and 5 standard of music)
Time limit: 6 minutes
Fee: £8

C045: French Class – advanced
Any one or two pieces by a French composer from any period (approx Grades 6 and 7 standard of music)
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £9

C046: French Class – open
Any one or two pieces by a French composer from any period
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £12

Bach

C047: Bach – under 13yrs
Own choice of item by J S Bach.
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7
The Oliver Atkins Cup

C048: Bach – under 17yrs
Own choice of item by J S Bach.
Time limit: 6 minutes
Fee: £8
The Ena Margaret Churchill Cup

C049: Bach – open
Own choice of item(s) by J S Bach.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £12
The Surrey Music Store Trophy

Chopin

C050: Chopin – open
Own choice.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £12
The Laredo Trophy

50yrs and over

C051: 50yrs and over – open
Own choice.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £12
The Delta Cup

Jazz/Pop

No performer may enter more than one of classes C052, C053, C054 or C055

C052: Jazz/Pop – junior
Any one piece (approx Grade 3 standard of music)
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7

C053: Jazz/Pop – intermediate
Any one piece (approx Grades 4 and 5 standard of music)
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7

C054: Jazz/Pop – advanced
Own choice (approx Grades 6 and above standard of music)
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £8

C055: Jazz – improvisation – open
Own choice.
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £10

Christmas/Humour

C056: Christmas Class – any age
Own choice of piece relating to Christmas. Solo, duet or trio.
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7

C057: Humour Class – any age
Own choice of piece containing humour. Solo, duet or trio.
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7

Collaborative Piano (Accompanist)

C058: Collaborative Piano – under 17yrs
Own choice of piece where the pianist is accompanying one or more performers (i.e. not a piano trio etc). Only the pianist will be adjudicated.
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £8

C059: Collaborative Piano – under 19yrs
Own choice of piece where the pianist is accompanying one or more performers (i.e. not a piano trio etc). Only the pianist will be adjudicated.
Time limit: 8 minutes
Fee: £8

C060: Collaborative Piano – open
Own choice of piece where the pianist is accompanying one or more performers (i.e. not a piano trio etc). Only the pianist will be adjudicated.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £12

Music Students and Professionals

C061: Music Students and Professionals – 18yrs and over
Own choice.
This class is open to professionals and students in full-time music education. Please see the general regulations for guidance or contact the section secretary.
Performers are asked to present a programme of 15-20 minutes to which they are expected to give a spoken introduction.
Fee: £22
Performers may not enter any other class in this section apart from open classes.

Duets/Trios

C062: Piano Duet – under 12yrs
Own choice of one or two pieces.
Both performers must comply with the set age limit.
Time limit: 3 minutes
Fee: £6
The Allenby Silver Jubilee Cup

C063: Piano Duet – under 14yrs
Own choice of one or two pieces.
Both performers must comply with the set age limit.
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7

C064: Piano Duet – under 16yrs
Own choice.
Both performers must comply with the set age limit.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £8

C065: Piano Duet – under 19yrs
Own choice.
Both performers must comply with the set age limit.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £9

C066: Piano Duet – open
Own choice.
Time limit: 10 minutes
Fee: £12
The Primo Secondo Award presented by Margaret Bolt

C067: Piano Duet – family, adult and child under 16yrs
Own choice.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £8
The Kirkman Cup for the best performance of C067, C068 and C069

C068: Piano Duet – family, under 16yrs
Own choice.
Both performers must comply with the set age limit.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £8
The Kirkman Cup for the best performance of C067, C068 and C069

C069: Piano Duet – family, any age
Own choice.
Time limit: 5 minutes
Fee: £9
The Kirkman Cup for the best performance of C067, C068 and C069

C070: Piano Duet – teacher and own pupil – under 10yrs
Own choice of two contrasting pieces.
(N.B. A teacher may play with more than one pupil.)
Time limit: 3 minutes
Fee: £6
Festival Medal

C071: Piano Duet – teacher and own pupil – under 17yrs
Own choice of two contrasting pieces
(N.B. A teacher may play with more than one pupil.)
Time limit: 4 minutes
Fee: £7

C072: Piano Duet – teacher and own pupil – 17yrs and over
Own choice of two contrasting pieces
(N.B. A teacher may play with more than one pupil.)
Time limit: 6 minutes
Fee: £8

C073: Six hands at one piano – any age
Own choice.
Time limit: 6 minutes
Fee: £9