San Francisco International Piano Competition and Bay PianoFest

Welcoming our 2026 Bay PianoFest Artistic Director — Yoshikazu Nagai 🎹

As we close our faculty series, we’re honored to spotlight Yoshikazu Nagai, Bay PianoFest Artistic Director.

Nagai is Professor of Piano and Chamber Music and Chair of the Piano Department at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His musicianship, precision, and uncompromising commitment to artistry set the tone for everything we do—creating a festival culture where students are challenged, supported, and inspired to grow.

⏳ Today is the FINAL deadline to apply for Bay PianoFest 2026 (03/15/2026).
If you’ve been considering it, submit your application today.
📩 Apply now: link in bio.
www.baypianofest.org

Happy memories from Bay PianoFest 💛

Some of the most meaningful parts of Bay PianoFest happen beyond the stage — in the friendships, laughter, shared inspiration, and community built throughout the festival.

We are so grateful for all of the wonderful students who have been part of this journey, and we look forward to welcoming a new summer of young artists at Bay PianoFest 2026.

August 3–13, 2026
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Application Deadline: March 15, 2026
www.baypianofest.org

Welcoming our 2026 Bay PianoFest Faculty — Boris Slutsky 🎹

We are delighted to welcome Boris Slutsky back to Bay PianoFest 2026—an internationally acclaimed pianist and master teacher recognized for “exquisite tonal beauty and superb artistry.” 

Slutsky is Professor of Piano at the Yale School of Music, where he teaches a studio of graduate-level pianists and has been featured on Yale’s Horowitz Piano Series.  He also has a long-standing legacy at the Peabody Conservatory, having joined the faculty in 1993 and returning in 2024 as Distinguished Professor of Piano. 

A celebrated competition laureate, he earned First Prize at the William Kapell International Piano Competition (with the Audience Prize and William Backhaus Award), and has received major prizes at competitions including Busoni and Gina Bachauer. 

At BPF 2026, students can expect focused, high-level work that refines tone, clarity, structure, and artistic confidence—guided by a teacher with decades of elite performance and mentorship.
📩 Applications & info: link in bio.
www.baypianofest.org

Bay PianoFest Masterclasses & Lessons 🎹

At Bay PianoFest, learning goes far beyond the practice room. Our participants have the opportunity to work closely with world-renowned faculty through inspiring masterclasses and private lessons designed to deepen artistry, refine technique, and spark new ideas.

From one-on-one guidance to shared musical moments in the masterclass setting, each lesson becomes a chance to grow, explore, and be challenged at the highest level.

We believe some of the most meaningful musical breakthroughs happen not only in performance, but in the learning process itself, through listening, experimenting, and discovering new possibilities together.

Join us this summer for an unforgettable artistic journey with our incredible faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 💛

Welcoming our 2026 Bay PianoFest Faculty — HieYon Choi

We are delighted to welcome HieYon Choi back to Bay PianoFest 2026—one of the most sought-after pianists of her generation, celebrated for expressive depth, refined artistry, and a powerful musical voice. 

She first gained international recognition through top prizes at major competitions including Kapell, Epinal, Busoni, and Viotti, and has since performed with distinguished orchestras across Europe, the U.S., and Korea—including Rundfunkorchester Berlin, the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, DC), the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Korean Broadcast Symphony Orchestra. 

HieYon Choi is Professor of Piano at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, joining the faculty in 2023/24 after 24 years as a tenured professor at Seoul National University. 

“Her transcendent command of the instrument reached its pinnacle…” — Joy Classic Monthly 

At BPF 2026, students can expect inspiring, high-level work that connects sound, structure, and imagination—guided by an artist-teacher with extraordinary international experience and deep dedication to mentorship.
📩 Applications & info: link in bio.
www.baypianofest.org

BPF Artist Faculty Recitals—moments that reminded us why Bay PianoFest is so special. Faculty artistry up close and a deeply inspiring concert atmosphere are at the heart of the festival experience.
Last summer, we were honored to hear Prof. HieYon Choi in a stunning solo recital. Her Beethoven Night instantly brings us back—music shaped with clarity and courage, where every phrase feels inevitable and every silence speaks.

If you’re looking for a summer inspired by world-class artists—along with meaningful opportunities to grow and perform—we’d love to welcome you to Bay PianoFest this year. 💛

Applications now open — visit our website for details.
www.baypianofest.org

Welcoming our 2026 Bay PianoFest Faculty — Boris Berman

We are honored to welcome Boris Berman to Bay PianoFest 2026—an internationally renowned pianist and master teacher whose artistry, scholarship, and mentorship have shaped pianists around the world. 

At the Yale School of Music, Berman serves as the Sylvia and Leonard Marx Professor in the Practice of Piano, heads the Piano Department, and is Artistic Director of the Horowitz Piano Series.  As a performer, he is known to audiences across six continents, with a distinguished recording career that includes being the first pianist to record Prokofiev’s complete solo piano works, and award-winning releases such as an Edison Classic Award for Shostakovich piano works. 

“…has established a piano program at Yale that is among the finest in our discipline.” — Robert Blocker (Yale School of Music Dean) 

At BPF 2026, students can expect rigorous, inspiring work that connects sound, structure, imagination, and musical truth—guided by a teacher with extraordinary depth and global perspective.
📩 Applications & info: link in bio.
www.baypianofest.org

Welcoming our 2026 Bay PianoFest Faculty — Alexander Korsantia 🎹
We are thrilled to welcome Alexander Korsantia back to Bay PianoFest 2026—a pianist celebrated for expressive power, fearless imagination, and an unmistakably individual voice. Dubbed “a major artist” (Miami Herald) and a “quiet maverick” (Daily Telegraph), he has been praised for the “clarity of his technique, richly varied tone and dynamic phrasing” (Baltimore Sun). 

Korsantia is Professor of Piano at the New England Conservatory, and his artistry has been recognized at the highest international level, including top prizes at the Artur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition and the Sydney International Piano Competition. 

“A performance that could annihilate all others one has heard.” — The Boston Globe 

At BPF 2026, students can expect inspiring, rigorous work that connects sound, structure, and imagination—guided by an artist-teacher who challenges pianists to go deeper and say something real.
📩 Applications & info: link in bio.
www.baypianofest.org

Welcoming our 2026 Bay PianoFest Faculty — Douglas Humpherys
We are thrilled to welcome Douglas Humpherys back to Bay PianoFest 2026—a distinguished pianist and master teacher whose artistry and mentorship have influenced pianists around the world.

Douglas Humpherys is Professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music.  He rose to international prominence after winning the Gold Medal at the first Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, and his concert career has since spanned four decades across four continents. 

In recent years, he has been a frequent guest artist in major cities across Asia, including regular appearances in Beijing at leading venues such as the National Centre for the Performing Arts.  Alongside his performing career, he has also served 20 years as Chair of Eastman’s Piano Department, bringing extraordinary experience and clarity to his teaching. 

At BPF 2026, students can expect rigorous, inspiring work that connects sound, structure, and artistic voice—guided by a teacher with decades of elite performance and deep dedication to developing the next generation of musicians.
📩 Applications & info: link in bio.
www.baypianofest.org

Bay PianoFest Faculty Q&A Workshop & Lecture
A space for deeper learning and honest conversation. Our faculty shares insights on artistry, technique, practice strategy, auditions, and career paths— as well as opens the floor for your questions.

Come curious. Leave clearer. 💛

Welcoming our 2026 Bay PianoFest Faculty — Enrico Elisi
We are delighted to welcome Enrico Elisi back to Bay PianoFest 2026—an Italian-born pianist recognized internationally for performances across four continents, and praised for a playing style of “mastery of elegance, refinement, and fantasy” (La Nueva España) and “remarkable sensitivity, imagination, and polish” (The Baltimore Sun). 

A Steinway Artist (since 2017), Elisi is also the Harold D. & Imogene Herndon Professor of Music in Piano at Texas Christian University.  His artistry is shaped by a deep musical lineage and a performer’s perspective—bringing clarity, imagination, and craftsmanship to every lesson. 

“Enrico Elisi is a highly gifted, serious, and accomplished musician…” — Leon Fleisher 

At BPF 2026, students can expect thoughtful, rigorous work that connects sound, structure, and expressive freedom—guided by an artist-teacher who helps pianists build a lasting, authentic voice.
📩 Applications & info: link in bio.
www.baypianofest.org