New South Wales pianist Adam Adov, 23, has won First Prize and $33,000 at the 2026 Australian National Piano Award, announced on Saturday night at Riverlinks Eastbank in Shepparton.
Fellow New South Wales pianist Alyssa Chalmers, 22, received Second Prize and $13,000. Chalmers also won the $5,000 Rotary Club of Shepparton People’s Choice Prize and the Shepparton News Prize for best Bach performance.
Queensland pianist Oscar Wong, 28, took Third Prize and $7,000, as well as the Pam Wells Prize for best Chopin performance.
Held over six days, the competition brought together 12 finalists who performed 32 solo recitals, featuring 24 hours of music by more than 50 composers across four centuries. The programs ranged from works by Bach, Scarlatti and Beethoven to Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Barber, alongside Australian compositions by Carl Vine, Ross Edwards and Kym Alexandra Dillon.
Unlike competitions decided by a single performance, the Australian National Piano Award requires each finalist to present at least two 45-minute solo recitals covering a broad repertoire. Five pianists progress to the semi-final, before three compete in the grand final. This year’s finalists were selected from a record number of applications and travelled from Australia and overseas to compete on the Steinway piano at Riverlinks Eastbank.
The adjudicating panel comprised Associate Professor Rae de Lisle MNZM of New Zealand, 2006 Award winner Amir Farid, representing Australia and the United States, and Professor Timothy Steeves of Canada and the United States. Their assessment considered technical ability, interpretation, understanding of each work’s historical and cultural context, and consistency across the full program.
Award President and co-founder Darryl Coote said the event had been held in Shepparton since 1992, providing a platform for emerging Australian pianists.
Previous First Prize winners include Amir Farid, Kristian Chong, Jayson Gillham and Alex Raineri, who have developed national and international careers. The 2024 winner, Joshua Han, has since performed across four continents and won First Prize at the International J.S. Bach Piano Competition in Germany.
Artistic Director Wendy Lorenz said the six-day program included music ranging from Bach and late Beethoven to Scriabin and contemporary Australian works.
Organised by a volunteer Board, associates and local residents, the Award returns in 2028 for its 18th edition. Volunteers contribute more than 5,000 unpaid hours to each competition, which costs more than $300,000 to stage.
