Singapore International Piano Festival returns under new Artistic Director Albert Tiu
The 32nd Singapore International Piano Festival will run from 2 to 5 July 2026, with six recitals, a masterclass, an improvisation workshop and a talk exploring this year’s theme, ‘The Pianist, Composer and Improviser’.
Presented by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the 2026 Singapore International Piano Festival marks a new chapter for the event with Singaporean pianist Albert Tiu taking over as Artistic Director.
Running from 2 to 5 July, this year’s festival brings together an international line-up of pianist-composers and improvisers, with performances and public sessions by Conrad Tao, Hyung-ki Joo, Sean Chen and Jon Kimura Parker, alongside Singaporean artists Churen Li and Jonathan Shin.
The festival opens on 2 July with Conrad Tao in Recital – Emigrés and Friends, in which the American composer-pianist explores the shaping of American sound through European émigré influences and Black musical traditions, in a programme featuring Gershwin, Schoenberg, Korngold and others.
On 3 July, Hyung-ki Joo in Recital – Dreams and Nightmares examines the line between dream and nightmare through works associated with childhood and memory, including music by Debussy, Bach and Ravel. Joo will also give a talk on 4 July focused on creativity and how it can be unlocked.
A new element for 2026 is a pair of late-night recitals at Play Den, The Arts House at The Old Parliament. Churen Li performs Echoes and Refractions on 2 July, combining her own compositions with works that inspired them, while Jonathan Shin follows on 3 July with Restless Natures, featuring world premieres by Shin and Nathaniel Parks alongside music by composers including Boulanger and Muhly.
The closing day on 5 July features two further recitals. Sean Chen presents Music and Magic, a programme built around fantasy, virtuosity and illusion, and will also lead an improvisation workshop on 4 July, offering practical guidance on how to begin and develop improvisational skills.
Later that evening, Jon Kimura Parker brings the festival to a close with Structure and Spontaneity, pairing classical works by Mozart and Beethoven with later music by Ravel, John Adams and others. Parker will also lead a masterclass on 4 July featuring prize winners from the 2025 National Piano & Violin Competition.
Tickets for the 32nd Singapore International Piano Festival are available via the festival website.