The Tampere Piano Competition
The Tampere Piano Association arranges the nationwide Tampere Piano Competition. This competition was held for the first time in April–May 2017. The association explains: ‘Our goal is to make the Tampere Piano Competition the most significant and comprehensive event forum in Finland to showcase the high-standard piano training in Finland and to introduce rising young pianist talent. Tampere offers excellent conditions for the competition, due to its strong base in classical music training, active concert-going public, facilities, and location, along with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, the only full-scale Finnish orchestra outside Helsinki.’ The Tampere Piano Competition will be next held in April 2021.
In 2017, the competition attracted 47 participating pianists. The competition was open to all Finns between the age of 15 and 30, and to pianists of those ages who have studied in Finland for at least three years. The competition’s top prize (EUR 10,000) was awarded to Ossi Tanner, and second prize was split between Anton Mejias and Fanny Söderström. The other finalists were Hannu Alasaarela, Ayane Matsuura, and Tarmo Peltokoski. The competition jury was made up of Kimmo Hakola (chair), Sonja Fräki, Paolo Giacometti, Liv Glaser, Kristiina Kask-Valve, and Mats Widlund.
The most important co-operation partners of the Tampere Piano Association for the competition include Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, Tampere Conservatoire; and the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, which plays for the competition’s final round. Supporters for the 2017 competition included the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Sibelius Academy Foundation, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the foundation Pro Musica Säätiö, and the Majaoja Foundation, along with the City of Tampere, Tampere Conservatoire, and Tampere University of Applied Sciences.