Welcome to the
Art of the Piano Festival

Composer Franz Liszt hosted masterclasses in which pianists would gather to watch and listen as Liszt taught one student at a time. It is in that spirit that Awadagin Pratt founded the Art of the Piano annual festival.

It is his vision to recreate an environment where expert-level artists can work to build the profile and artistry of talented, budding players.

This festival is designed to raise your level of music making and piano playing.

I have chosen great artists and pedagogues to help you achieve these goals.

Founded in Cincinnati in 2011, this festival is a platform for you to perfect your recital and competition repertoire, and to have a quiet, beautiful place to apply all that you’re learning at the keyboard. Being an all-masterclass festival, your success depends on your playing and most attentive listening.

Most days will have one or two events – masterclass(es) and/or a recital.

This gives ample opportunity for practice and preparation.

In addition to classes and recitals, there are gatherings with the faculty. A general openness is fostered in an exceptionally supportive environment.

Spots are limited to a small group talented pianists 15 and older.**

2026 Festival | August 2 - 14

Sitka, Alaska

This is an absolutely unique opportunity for a select group of young artists to study Beethoven concertos and sonatas with Awadagin Pratt, Paul Schenly and Alexander Korsantia.  We will also be reading works for two pianos/four hands; and visiting with and discussing aspects of Beethoven's life with biographer Laura Tunbridge.  

You will perform recitals and masterclasses in intimate settings, and taking inspiration from the gorgeous backdrop of Sitka Sound.  Offstage, you will have the opportunity to explore Southeast Alaska’s gorgeous landscape, offering unparalleled hiking, fishing, paddling, biking, and nature-watching.

This festival is housing and tuition free. 

Additional details about applications, deadlines and more to be announced soon.

Applications for 2026 are now closed.

Check back in November for 2027 application information.

FAQs

  • We prefer that all attendees participate in the entire festival.

    However, if you’re only able to attend a portion of the festival – under certain circumstances – exceptions can be made.

    Important: we do not provide housing when you aren’t in attendance at the festival. This means you must either 1. check out of your housing for any days you’re not attending or 2. pay your housing for the days/nights you’re not in attendance. If you’re not sure what this means or how this works, email us.

  • No. Anything else?

    Okay, to be serious: all of the lessons in this festival are open format, so that everyone can benefit. Private lessons aren’t offered.

  • Before the festival starts, we’ll send out a teacher preference survey.

    Prof. Pratt does his best to accommodate everyone’s requests. But obviously if everyone requests the same person, it’s impossible to make that happen. So the assignments are ultimately at Prof. Pratt’s discretion.

  • Only a few flights come into Sitka each day, and once we have everyone’s travel info, we will make arrangements to pick you up.

  • The approximate cost per person per night is $38. However, please reach out to us as this is based on 2026 circumstances and a lot can change in a year.

  • We do not currently have any hotel partners. We suggest using the Visit Sitka website for lodging options.

  • This festival is open to pianists 15 and older. There is no upper age limit.

  • You will need money for:

    -food: groceries are about 30% more in Sitka, but we also work with one of our partners/hosts (Sitka Fine Arts Camp) to provide an affordable meal plan that includes breakfast and lunch. The cost for both breakfast and lunch for the duration of the 2026 festival is $367.

    -any additional activities you may wish to do (ie whale watching, kayak or bike rental, etc.)

    -airfare/getting yourself to Alaska, however that may be

    Important: we only pay for your housing when you are actively participating/on campus. If you leave campus overnight during the festival (to play a gig, for example), you’ll either need to check out of your housing, or pay for those nights out of your own pocket.

  • Yes, you will be staying with other festival participants in the same dorm.

    In general we try for arrangements that give you the most privacy possible. We will also try to arrange for roommate requests. Private rooms may be possible, but not guaranteed. You should plan for a shared room to be safe.

    It is usually possible to pay in order to have a private room, and the cost is approximately $1200. Shared rooms are free of charge for accepted participants.

  • We’ll try our best to accommodate, since our Young Artists come from all over the world. That said, any early or late check-ins/check-outs will need to be paid on your own and aren’t covered by the festival.

  • It is usually possible to do this, but you must pay for it yourself. The approximate cost is $1200. Availability is not guaranteed and you should check back with us for the 2027 housing situation.

    Shared rooms are provided free of charge by the festival.

  • You will be staying in one of the dorms on the campus of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. One dorm (Sweetwater) has communal bathrooms and is an old-style setup.

    Pacific North Dorm offers more privacy and a communal kitchen, but will be undergoing renovations in Fall 2026; check back for information on 2027.

  • We generally provide a festival handbook with info on how to best get around. As for info on the Sitka area, there are tons of websites and travel books—more than we could possibly list here :)

  • We have several decent-quality pianos available to us. We purposely keep the acceptance group small so that everyone has adequate access to a piano.

  • No, all auditions and applications are online.