7th International WNYLE Piano Competition
With the Support of the WNYLE Institute | Finland
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31)
GUIDELINES
Deadline 22 February 2026
Entrants
The competition is open to all pianists aged starting from four years old. Age is defined as the entering pianist’s age on the day of the video recording. The organizers reserve the right to ask for written proof of age from the participant’s parent or guardian.
Age groups*
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1 group -U 10( 4-10 y.o.)
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2 group- U 17( 11-17 y.o.)
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3 group-A (adults)
* Participation is open to both AMATERUS and PROFESSIONALS; however, clarification is required in the registration form.
Evaluation Criteria
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Grand Prize 100/100 points
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1st Place 95-99 points
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2nd Place 85-94 points
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3rd Place 75-84 points
Participate in 3 Steps
1. The pianist* will make a video recording of any piece of their choice*
2. The pianist uploads his/her video on YouTube or a similar platform and gets the corresponding link to the recorded video.
3. The pianist fills out the registration form, copies the link of his/her video, and proceeds with the payment of the fee.
The pianist's participation is fully confirmed after step 3 has been completed.
*No concert for piano with orchestra.
Publication
The video of the pianists is to be posted on the Facebook Group of Mikhailichenka Piano School.
Registration Fee
35 euros*
*Plus Paypal commission of 1.99 euros.
Prizes
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Three Grand Prizes 100 euro (50 euros Teacher / 50 euros Participant) + Diploma of Achievement for Teacher
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1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes will be awarded special diplomas plus Piano sheets from composer Volha Mikhailichenka
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All participants get an 70% scholarship to complete the International Diploma on Brain Power from the WNYLE Institute, Finland.
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All participants will receive a digital participation certificate
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All participants will receive written feedback from jury members
Trophies (optional)
Winning participants may order a customized trophy at a separate cost (30 euros per trophy). The trophy is to contain the name of the winning participant, the place, and the title of the competition.
Jury
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Volha Mikhailichenka, Mikhailichenka International Piano School, Finland
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Volha Haiko, VHS World of Music, USA
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Ilda Mema Muço, Schoenblick Music School, Germany
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Angelina Mei Mei Tan, Germany
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Dilek Redzep, DMBUC Ilija Nikolovski Luj Music and Ballet Centre, Macedonia
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Vik Perez, International Advisor, Finland
The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Closing date
The completed online entry form must be received by 23:59 Central European Time on February 22, 2026.
The winners
The winners will be notified by the beginning of March 2026. They will be required to submit written proof of age to receive their prize.
The videos of the participants will be published beginning of March 2026, on our Facebook Group and website www.mikhailichenka.org
What participants need to know about their video
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Uploading the video: Information about uploading your video can be found in the “Help” section on the YouTube homepage.
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Video quality: We do not expect a professional video. However, we urge you to create the best audio and video quality possible.
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Video editing is forbidden: The video must not be edited in any way and must run continuously from beginning to end.
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Picture detail: The pianist’s head, arms, and hands must be visible in the video. Best of all is a fixed camera position showing them at all times.
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Sound recording: The performance recorded for the video entry must be acoustic and not amplified or altered electronically in any way. The only microphone(s) used should be for recording. General tips can be found in the “Help” section on the YouTube website.
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Performance as if in front of an audience: The pianist should behave in the video as if they are performing in front of an audience. The video can either be shot at home, at (music) school, in a recital hall, or any other place where there is a suitable piano.
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Title of the video: The video for the WNYLE Piano Competition must be titled as follows on YouTube: “7th WNYLE Piano Competition 2025 [First and last name of the pianist]”; all words should be separated by a space, e.g. “7th WNYLE Piano Competition 2026 - Darious Smith”.
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Privacy settings: When you upload the video to YouTube, you must select “Public” in the “Privacy” settings. Please make sure to choose the option “No, it's not made for Kids”.
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Online entry form: Once the video has been uploaded to YouTube as described above, the official online entry form (see link below) must be filled out and submitted. It must contain the video link. Only then is the entry complete and the pianist entered in the competition.
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Parental consent: The online entry form must be filled in and submitted with the parent's or guardian’s consent.
Should you still have any other questions regarding the competition, please contact us by WhatsApp
Registration
Download the entry form, fill it and send it via WhatsApp to +86 139 62118632
Payment options
