Cleveland International Piano Competition Announces 2024 Winners

The 25-year-old Chinese pianist Zijian Wei has won the $75,000 first prize

Founded in 1974, Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC) is now held every four years for emerging pianists aged 17 to 32 from around the world.

The CIPC’s 2024 final concerto round streamed live here on The Violin Channel.

The Chinese pianist Zijian Wei has won the competition’s Mixon First Prize of $75,000, as well as the ChamberFest Cleveland Prize, Concerto Round Audience Prize, Junior Jury Prize, and the G. Henle Verlag Urtext Prize. 

American pianists Evren Ozel and Maxim Lando were awarded the $25,000 second prize and $15,000 third prize, respectively. Italian pianist Giuseppe Guarrera took home the fourth prize with $10,000, as well as the CIPC Beethoven Prize.  

The Baroque Prize was awarded to Ozel, and Lando also won the Playoff Audience Prize alongside Zhu Wang. 

Jonathan Mamora won the Cairns Family American Prize, Antonio Chen Guang won the Chopin Prize, Wang was awarded the Female Composer Prize, and the Mozart Prize went to Zihao Wu. 

For its 50th edition, the CIPC received 265 applicants from 28 countries and regions. In all, 16 candidates were selected from a pool of 56 others to the second stage in the competition in Cleveland from July 28 to August 10, 2024. 

Chaired by Melvin Chen, the CIPIC jury comprised ​​Lydia Connolly, Hyung-ki Joo, Francesco Lecce-Chong, Awadagin Pratt, Matan Porat, Muza Rubackyte, Kathleen Van Bergen. Additionally, Lang Lang served as the Honorary CIPC Ambassador. 

“Competing as a finalist in the CIPC is an extraordinary feat,” said Piano Cleveland’s president Yaron Kohlberg, according to cleveland.com. “Sharing the stage with the Cleveland Orchestra is a career-maker for many pianists. The CIPC Finals can put someone on the map,” Kohlberg added, “But the Mixon First Prize takes you all over the world.”