Art of the Piano, led by Awadagin Pratt, is thrilled to hold its second Nina Simone Piano Competition.  Taking place in the summer of 2025, this biennial competition is specifically for talented young African American pianists. 

The aim of this Competition is to give these young artists a highly visible platform to showcase their skills, gain opportunities, experience, and support.  Additionally, the Competition aims to get more African American artists on concert stages in general, to commission new works, and to add more African American pianistic voices to the classical canon.

The competition will be held on the campus of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from June 20 - 22, 2025.  Three finalists selected from the Artists Division will also perform with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2025 as the concerto portion of the competition.