October 20, 2025 I Event
Pearl River’s Global Piano Competition Announces Winners, New Format
Winners of the 2025 Pearl River Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition.
Pearl River recently hosted its 42nd annual Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition, which continues to foster young musical talent worldwide with a new format, a distinguished advisory council and hundreds of regional stages culminating in the International Grand Final in Xiamen, China.
The competition’s footprint is extensive, with more than 200 domestic and international sub-competition zones with more than one million contestants participating on a Kayserburg stage throughout its history. Preliminaries for 2025 began in March, spanning multiple countries and regions to select finalists for the autumn finale in China.
Categories span four main groupings (Student, Duet/Ensemble, College and Open), subdivided into 10 divisions. Rounds include Preliminary, Semi-final and Grand Final (two rounds for College and Open). Together, the structure creates a fair ladder for ages and levels, while repertoire breadth tests musicianship, technique and expression across periods and styles.
After regional events, selected winners proceed to a Preliminary Grand Final, with results slated by late August. The International Grand Final takes place in Xiamen, China, from mid-September through October.
Winners of the 2025 International Grand Final were announced. In the Young Children Division, Qi Tianyang took first place, while Xiao Yuchen claimed first in Children Division I and Li Yongjun won Children Division II. Teenagers Division I was won by Li Yunze, and Tan Xincao won first place in Teenagers Division II. In the Piano Duet Category, Liu Xuanxi and Liu Zhanhao earned first place. Yao Zihan won the College Category, and Zheng Wenbo was recognized as the top performer in the Professional Teenagers Division. Chen Zhilin took first place in the Young Pianists Division.
The top award combines RMB 10,000 (approximately $1,400 USD) and SGD 30,000 (roughly $23,300 USD), a trophy and certificate, an awards-ceremony performance, and a Winner’s Concert at Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, plus a professional support program offering airfare to compete in major WFIMC-member benchmark competitions within two years. Second and third prizes include parallel recognition and professional support. Teachers of winners receive Outstanding/Excellent Awards certificates, underscoring education’s central role in the pipeline.
