Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium

01/09/2026

22/05/2026

Looking back on the 2026 Stellenbosch Piano Symposium, these one-word reflections say quite a lot.

We asked participants and faculty to describe the week in a single word.

Taken together, their answers offer a glimpse of what this 10th edition meant to the people who were part of it: the music, the learning, the connection, and the friendships that stayed with them after the final note.

04/05/2026

The closing Piano Extravaganza brought together ten pianists for a spirited performance of the William Tell Overture, with Esthea Kruger stepping in on cymbals for one of the evening’s most delightful moments.

It was also a reminder that even the most accomplished professional pianists are not above having a little fun on stage.

On stage: Nina Schumann, Pieter Grobler, Kärt Ruubel, Emanuil Ivanov, Ludmil Angelov, Leo Gevisser, Megan-Geoffrey Prins, François du Toit, Catherine Foxcroft and Andrew Warburton.

A joyful, high-spirited moment from the final night of the 2026 Stellenbosch Piano Symposium.

ClassicalMusic

29/04/2026

A piano, a bakkie, and a whole lot of shared joy.

As the painted Piano Graveyard Revival piano made its way through Stellenbosch during this year’s symposium, pianists climbed up, took turns, laughed together and filled the town with music.

What made this moment special was not only the piano’s journey, but the sense of play, connection and community around it — music out in the open, shared freely, and enjoyed together.

Next stop: ARCO in Prince Albert, at the PACT Youth Centre.

23/04/2026

10/04/2026

A little blue that it’s over — but what a way to launch our new Jazz category!

A first for the Stellenbosch Piano Symposium, the closing Piano Extravaganza featured our jazz faculty — Melvin Peters, Ramon Alexander and Andrew Lilley — in an improvised trio for three grand pianos on stage.

Their Piano Symposium Blues brought wit, flair and serious musicianship to the final night, with the three pianists even swapping places so the audience could follow each player’s hands in turn.

A huge standing ovation, and a memorable close to the 10th edition.

ThreePianos EndlerHall

08/04/2026

Not every piano stays in the concert hall.

The painted Piano Graveyard Revival piano took to the streets of Stellenbosch on the back of a bakkie during this year’s symposium — with Sabre Dance along for the ride.

Part performance, part public mischief, part celebration of giving pianos new life.

02/04/2026

Ten editions on, the Stellenbosch Piano Symposium continues to grow in depth, reach and ambition.

The 2026 symposium brought together an outstanding international and national faculty, a talented and deeply engaged group of participants, and audiences who helped make the week feel truly alive.

Across five rich days of music, learning and exchange, the programme embraced not only masterclasses, lunch hour concerts, evening recitals, the Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition and the closing Piano Extravaganza, but also the introduction of the Junior and school categories, the important presence of accompaniment, and a hugely successful jazz addition that brought fresh energy and new perspectives to the symposium.

As the symposium marks its tenth edition, it is clear that this is not only a celebration of piano performance, but a meeting place for excellence, curiosity, collaboration and inspiration across generations and disciplines.

Thank you to everyone who performed, taught, participated, supported and listened.

Photos by Tiffany Schultz Photography

JazzPiano