Hastings International Piano

Words by Suzanne Bird

Photos by Steve Painter

This summer, I spent a wonderful afternoon at Fairlight Hall, enjoying a picnic in the beautiful gardens and a stunning piano recital performed by previous finalists of the Hastings International Piano Competition. This was my introduction to the Competition and its year-round programme of concerts, which are part of a long tradition of world-class classical musician Hastings. (I didn’t know this, but Rachmaninov played at The White Rock Theatre twice in the 1930s!)

Hastings International Piano Competition’s roots go back to the first Hastings Music Festival in 1908, but it’s now an internationally-renowned piano competition in its own right.

Hastings International Piano Competition’s roots go back to the first Hastings Music Festival in 1908, but it’s now an internationally-renowned piano competition in its own right. Video auditions have recently been submitted by 356 applicants aged between 16 and 30, from many countries including China, Zimbabwe, Ukraine and Canada. The independent charity Hastings International Piano runs the Competition, which will next happen between 26th February and 7th March 2026. It will bring many competitors, judges and audience members to the town outside the main visitor season, which in itself must be a good thing for the town’s year-round economy!

Competitions Matter

Nicky Webb, the charity’s Communications Director, says, ‘As in the world of sport, competitions matter because they can help nurture careers as well as providing entertainment... Even getting to the final stages of an important competition can help to make sure you actually get noticed in an incredibly competitive field.’

I spoke with Competition Director Ian Brignall as he was busily contacting the successful applicants for the next competition. Forty young pianists have been selected for the first round of the competition, where they must play concertos from the start; just half of those make it to the second round, with only five pianists making it all the way to the final where they play with the Royal Philharmonic.

Beautiful music is like a warm blanket and it gives joy

The overall winner receives a cash prize and concert opportunities including a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall in London. 2024 winner Curtis Phill Hsu’s concerts have included playing at the Steinway Hall, and he returned to perform at the White Rock Theatre in September to play with runner-up Harmony Zhu and the Royal Philharmonic. Winners also receive an artist development package called The Hastings Fellowship to support them through the challenges of being a professional musician. Ian explained that being a solo pianist can be a very lonely existence, without the camaraderie that comes from playing in an orchestra. However, the competition experience can build mutual support and friendship between the pianists, which shone through at the summer picnic concert.

It's wonderful to have world-class music performed here, with the first two competition rounds free to watch on a drop-in basis. Each session is quite short, so you can pop in to listen to just one competitor if you wish - dress how you like, go with your children after school, or on your way home from work! Tickets are on sale for the semi-finals and finals, but the prices are kept as low as possible.

Ian told me, ‘For an audience, watching one of the best symphony orchestras play in the final with a young pianist of this calibre is something special. It really touches the audience. Beautiful music played well is like a warm blanket and it gives joy.

Don’t stop the music!

The young pianists love to come to Hastings and be by the sea (whatever the weather) and they enjoy the friendliness of the town, which mostly comes from the community involvement. Ian said, ‘The volunteers who support the competition and its competitors are absolutely essential.’ They servere freshments, help with admin, provide homes for the young pianists to stay in, offer their pianos for practice, or drive the competitors around. It helps make the competition financially possible and long-lasting friendships are often formed between the pianists and their hosts.

The charity receives no public funds; private donations including a patron scheme are key, and they enjoy great support from the Kowitz family at Fairlight Hall. They also receive some local and international corporate support, including sponsorship by Steinway.This recognition from the world’s largest maker of pianos gives the competition extra kudos, and vital financial support in the form of the 8 Steinway grand pianos loaned for the competition, including 6 pianos used in the White Rock Hotel for practice sessions.

‘When building our outreach projects, we started with one-day workshops in primary schools to bust that myth of classical music only being for a select few.’

Music for all

When I met Rosa Amour, the charity’s Learning & Development Coordinator, she explained that it is committed to artistic excellence and nurturing young musicians, but also to making the competition relevant to Hastings. It supports music enjoyment and engagement through local outreach initiatives enlisting the skills of former competition finalists and local Hastings creatives. ‘When building our outreach projects, we started with one-day workshops in primary schools to bust that myth of classical music only being for a select few.’ The response has been really positive, with Year 5 pupils from 12 primary schools engaging well with local cellist Sam Glazer’s programme. Each group listened to competition pianist Gabrielė Sutkutėplay, explained how it made them feel, learned some music basics and composed their own song. The workshops are accessible to all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, or with English as an additional language. All the children benefit from being given the freedom to create.

Community initiatives have included a Tots Concert for toddlers, recitals of carefully curated and calming music for care home residents, and the ongoing Sounds of Creativity workshops. This last project focuses on music’s wellbeing benefits, particularly for those living with social inequality or mental health challenges. Participants are guided by local artist Sophie Malpass, learning about the stories behind the music they’re responding to and doing something visually creative while they listen.

Photo by Alice Denny

Finally, Music in the Meadow will happen again in the 2026 February half term, just before the competetion. Any one of any age can book a time to perform to the public on a piano in Priory Meadow, with their name proudly displayed on the board beside them.

Music is such a powerful connector

I finished my conversations with both Rosa and Ian by asking what they would like everyone to know about Hastings International Piano. lan said, 'Classical music has a label of exclusivity, that only people who know what they're talking about can go to a classical concert, but that's totally untrue. Classical music is for absolutely everybody... The Proms have been incredibly successful in taking away the stigma and barriers around classical music, and if we can do that here, that's a job well done.'

Rosa's response was, 'I want people to know that there is this incredible and beautiful world of music on their doorstep and it can be for everybody... I'd encourage them to come along to the free judging rounds and listen at Music in the Meadow; whether you hear an international pianist or a Year 5 pupil playing the first song they've learnt, it can evoke the same feelings and messages... Music is such a powerful connector and it can transcend boundaries and barriers between people, and at the moment I feel we need these moments of beauty and connection more than anything else.'

Visit hastingsinternationalpiano.org for more information about the Hastings International Piano Competition - when you can watch the free sessions and how to get tickets to the finals, plus all the volunteering opportunities, and how to engage with the charity's community projects.