Hennie Joubert Piano Competition

On World PIano Day, we celebrate the young artists who brought this year's Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition to its thrilling close on the fourth evening of the Piano Symposium

Hennie Joubert Trophy and Gold Medal: Hermanus Schmidt

John Roos Silver Medal: Dylan Price

Bronze Medal: Aran Singh

4th prize: Singran Emilie Yang

5th prize: Eléna Monvoisin

Special Prizes:

The prize for the Best performance of a Bach Prelude and Fugue was awarded to Dylan Price

The Joan de Villiers Prize for the best Classical Sonata was awarded to Singran Emilie Yang

The Prize for the best performance of a South African Composition was awarded to Weien Amy Luo

The Prize for the best performance of a Virtuoso Etude was awarded to Hermanus Schmidt

The Andre Serfontein Prize for the most promising competitor who did not advance to the final round was awarded to Damian Philander

Allmusic sponsored a Sheet Music prize for the best overall recital in the third round, and this was awarded to Hermanus Schmidt

The John Roos Prize for the Best Performance of a Concerto was awarded to Hermanus Schmidt

Thank you to all the pianists, teachers, jury members, sponsors, adience, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Jacobus de Jager for making the Final Round such a memorable occasion.

Photos by Tiffany Schultz Photography

Looking forward to the final round tonight with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Jacobus de Jager (conductor)

Live streaming will begin at 19:30, directly on the page, pause during the break at around 20:00, and continue at approximately 20:15 for the second half

Programme:
Dylan Price:
• L van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15
III. Rondo: Allegro scherzando

Eléna Monvoisin:
• C. Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No.2, Op.22
I. Andante Sostenuto

Sinran Emilie Yang
• H. Litolff: Concerto symphonique No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 102:
II. Scherzo

Interval
Aran Singh
• E. Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
I. Allegro molto moderato

Hermanus Schmidt
• S. Prokofieff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26
I. Andante - Allegro

Tonight, the Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition Final takes the stage at the Endler Hall, as this year’s finalists perform with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Jacobus de Jager.

After earlier solo rounds, the competition now moves into the concerto setting — a defining moment for these young South African pianists, where technical command, musical maturity and partnership with orchestra all come into play.

Presented as part of the 10th Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium, the final brings rising talent onto one of the festival’s biggest stages.

28 March | 19:30
Endler Hall, Stellenbosch

Join us tonight and experience the final live. Tickets available on webtickets.

Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra

Congratulations to all 12 pianists who were selected to perform in round 2 and 3. We were treated to compelling performances and honour the hard work that went into this. The competition aims to serve as a podium for exactly these musicians to practice and hone their craft and we are pleased to have been able to play our small part in their future development. Now, onwards with the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium where many of the participants will continue with masterclasses.

The 5 finalists will be performing with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra in the Endler Hall on Saturday 28 March at 19:30. Congratulations!

Eléna Monvoisin:
C. Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No.2, Op.22 I. Andante Sostenuto

Dylan Price:
L van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15
III. Rondo: Allegro scherzando

Hermanus Schmidt:
S. Prokofieff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26
I. Andante - Allegro

Aran Singh:
E. Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16
I. Allegro molto moderato

Sinran Emilie Yang:
H. Litolff: Concerto symphonique No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 102: II. Scherzo

We are looking forward to welcoming the participants of the 2026 competition to the stage tomorrow.

Do make a point of supporting the solo rounds in the Endler Hall:
Monday 23 March 2:30-6:30
Tuesday 24 March 9:00-19:00
(Entrance for free)

The participants will perform in front of a dream-team jury. In addition to top national pianists, the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition is one of the few in South Africa affording South African youngsters the opportunity to also perform in front of an international jury member.

“Since 2012, the symposium has partnered with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra to host the prestigious Hennie Joubert Piano Competition, aligning the week with a chance for advanced young pianists to showcase their artistry.”

Read the full article about the Symposium here: https://iol.co.za/weekend-argus/entertainment/2026-02-11-stellenbosch-international-piano-symposium-celebrating-10-years-of-musical-excellence/

Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium

Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium: celebrating 10 Years of musical excellence Join music enthusiasts and aspiring pianists at the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium from 25 to 29 March 2026, celebrating its 10th edition with exceptional performances, master classes, and the captivating Piano Extravaganza featuring ten pianos.

After a full day of screening the exceptionally talented pianists who entered for the 2026 competition, we are glad to announce the following participants progressed to the second and third rounds, held on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 March in the Endler Hall:
Lukas de Villiers
Gabriel du Toit
Weien Amy Luo
Lucas Marques
Eléna Monvoisin
Boitumelo Phaho
Damian Philander
Dylan Price
Hermanus Schmidt
Aran Singh
Sinran Emilie Yang
Juntian Yang

Congratulations!

For 2026 the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition repertoire requirements underwent minor tweaks, with the aim of broadening participant choices. Be sure to visit our website for more info

Hennie Joubert Piano Competition

The 16th Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition
will be held at the Stellenbosch Konservatorium’s
Endler Hall from 23 to 28 March 2026.

Entries close on 27 January 2026

Please follow this link to the competition brochure:

Hennie Joubert Piano Competition

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9hC053thWX/?igsh=MXBmenk5MmVkNW9oYg==

Join us on Tuesday, on the 23rd of July, when a brilliant young pianist, Louis Nel, will present a thrilling programme of works by Bach, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Muczynski, and Johnson. Louis started playing the piano at the age of 8 under the guidance of Claudine van Breda, and is currently a pupil of Prof Joseph Stanford. In 2016 he was the overall winner of the Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition in Stellenbosch, and in 2017 of the Atterbury National Piano Competition. In October 2018 he was appointed as winner of the piano category as well as the overall winner during the National Youth Music Competition in Cape Town. In 2019 he was invited to perform as a soloist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra during the Len van Zyl Conductor’s Competition, and won the UNISA Music Scholarship Competition. Since then, he has completed an Honours degree in mathematics at the University of Pretoria and has continued to perform on the side, a highlight being performing as pianist for Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy in 2023. All proceeds from Louis’ recital will be donated to the Service Centre for the Aged. Children and students are most welcome to attend free of charge, but are encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item to contribute to the NWU School of Music food bank. Tickets are available at R120 per adult on the online ticket platform. Book your tickets today! https://qkt.io/KY7iAW