The Ke`alohi International Piano Competition will be held from August 17 – 24, 2025. Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds will take place at the University of Hawaii Music Department, Orvis Auditorium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Concerto finals with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra will be held on August 24, 2025, at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii.
General Rules
- All competitors will perform their chosen programs in their entirety from memory, up to the permitted time limit. Competitors may choose the order of performance of their program for each round.
- All performances will be strictly timed by an official Ke`alohi monitor (time limits are for actual performance time and do not include breaks between pieces)
- Semifinal Concerto Round will be with second piano accompaniment. Competitors must perform with the provided official Ke`alohi accompanists and will be provided with one 60-minute rehearsal.
- All prizes will be awarded, and no ties will be allowed. Winners are expected to honor all commitments resulting from their prizes and awards.
- All decisions of the jury will be final. There will be no written comments from the judges.
- All rounds of the competition are open to the public.
Travel
- Contestants are responsible for arranging their own flights to/from Honolulu at their own expense.
- Arrival date in Honolulu: August 14, 2025.
- All contestants are requested to book their return flight departing Honolulu on August 20, 2025. Ke`alohi will cover the airline change fee for those contestants advancing to the semifinal and final rounds.
Accommodation Support
Ke`alohi will provide accommodation for the contestants at the University of Hawaii housing facility and will cover accommodation expenses until the contestant is eliminated from the Competition. Contestants will also be provided a daily meal per diem allowance beginning August 15, 2025, until the following dates.
Quarterfinal round contestants: Until the morning of August 20, 2025
Semifinal round contestants: Until the morning of August 22, 2025
Final round contestants: Until the morning of August 25, 2025
[NOTES]
- Contestants eliminated in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds must vacate the accommodation provided by Ke`alohi as specified above. Those who wish to extend their stay in Honolulu must arrange their own accommodation and make flight changes at their own expense.
- Contestants declining competition housing will be responsible for their own lodging, meals, and transportation.
Performance Order
Contestants will draw numbers to determine the order of performance at the draw party on August 15, 2025. The order will be kept throughout the competition, except for the final concerto round.
Practice
Beginning August 15, 2025, a room with a grand piano will be made available to each contestant for a maximum of 6 hours/day.
Visa
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may need special travel documents which can often take a significant amount of time. Please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate for information regarding required documentation for entry into the United States. Ke`alohi will provide an invitation letter to the applicant but will not guarantee applicants with entry VISAs to the United States.
Credits
All competition winners must give credit in future publicity for all awards won in the Ke`alohi International Piano Competition. The competition reserves the right, without payment of fees, to record and distribute competition recordings for media and other purposes (including online and social media) and to televise, broadcast, film, record, videotape, photograph, or live stream all stages of the competition, prize performances, and concerts.
Insurance/Compensation for Damage
Ke`alohi will not compensate for any physical, material or mental damage caused or incurred by the contestants during the period of the Competition and other programs associated with the Competition. Each contestant is responsible for his/her necessary insurance.
By applying to the competition, the applicant agrees to abide by all the rules and regulations of the Ke`alohi International Piano Competition.
The Competition reserves the right to make necessary updates and revisions to the rules and regulations, as agreed upon by the Artistic Committee.