Presented by CLEF - Chiron Lewis Eady Foundation & proudly supported by Lewis Eady Steinway NZ
COMPETITION DATES: 15 - 19 JULY 2026
Lewis Eady National Junior Piano Competition 2026
The Lewis Eady National Junior Piano Competition provides New Zealand’s most promising young pianists with an opportunity to showcase their talent and compete at a national level. The competition is open to students currently attending intermediate or secondary school.
The competition begins with a recorded audition round, assessed by a Preliminary Adjudicator. From these submissions, 15 competitors are selected to progress to the live competition stage.
Semi-finalists present a recital programme of up to 20 minutes, chosen by the competitor. Programmes must include works from at least three different musical periods, demonstrating both versatility and breadth of repertoire.
Following the semi-finals, the adjudicator selects six finalists to advance to the Grand Final. The competition concludes with a prize-giving ceremony celebrating the achievements of New Zealand’s leading young pianists.
Announcing the 15 pianists to compete in the LENJPC Semi-finals
In alphabetical order by surname:
Ozan BINER-McGRATH
Louis DE BIASIO
Daisy DENG
William DING
Anya FANG
Kathleen FU
Peter HU
Olivia MU
Steven SONG
Daniel WANG
Henry WANG
William XU
Leo YANG
Ryan YEH
Samuel YUAN
1st Reserve | Jonathan QIAO
2nd Reserve | Jacob LIU
Comments from Adjudicator – Terence Dennis
The standard of the large field of applicants was indeed very high, and applicants are commended both for their excellent preparation and for their fine range of repertoire choices. Only fifteen could be chosen, but much credit goes to the achievements of those not in that list, and to the future pianistic endeavours of all candidates.
Louis De Biasio Wins the 2026 Lewis Eady National Junior Piano Competition!
The Grand Final of the 2026 Lewis Eady National Junior Piano Competition showcased an extraordinary evening of musicianship, artistry, and inspiration. Congratulations to all six finalists for their outstanding performances.
Our Prize Winners:
FIRST – Louis De Biasio
SECOND – Ryan Yeh
THIRD – Peter Hu
Special Awards
Best Performance of a Classical Sonata – Louis De Biasio
Best Performance of a New Zealand Work – Louis De Biasio
We celebrate all our prize winners and every competitor who took part in this year's competition. Your dedication, artistry, and passion continue to inspire and showcase the remarkable future of classical music in New Zealand.
Congratulations to our six finalists!
Peter HU
Olivia MU
Daniel WANG
William XU
Ryan YEH
Louis DE BIASIO
JOIN US FOR THE GRAND FINAL
Saturday 18 July | 4:00pm – 7:00pm
The University of Auckland School of Music
Secure your seat and experience the GRAND FINAL live!
Semi-final Round
16 July 2026, Thursday
The University of Auckland School of Music
Session 1
9.30am - William DING
9.50am - Anya FANG
10.10am - Kathleen FU
10.30am - Peter HU
10.50am - Olivia MU
Session 2
11.40am - Steven SONG
12.00pm - Daniel WANG
12.20pm - Henry WANG
12.40pm - William XU
1.00pm - Leo YANG
Session 3
3.00pm - Ryan YEH
3.20pm - Samual YUAN
3.40pm - Ozan BINER-McGRATH
4.00pm - Louis DE BIASIO
4.20pm - Daisy DENG
4.40pm - Finalists announced
Prizes
1st | $2,000 - Kindly donated by Murray Jacobs
2nd | $1,000
3rd | $500 - Kindly donated by Bentley Auckland
Other Finalists | $200
Best Performance of a Classical Sonata | $500
Best Performance of a NZ Composition | $250