The 2025 Joseph Bologne International Piano Competition will be Feb. 1 and is open to high school pianists in grades 10-12. Registration runs through Dec. 10.
Elon University’s Department of Music will host the 2025 Joseph Bologne International Piano Competition for high school musicians this winter, showcasing young talent and celebrating the overlooked 18th century composer.
Open to students in 10th through 12th grades, the competition will take place on Feb. 1 at Yeager Recital Hall in Elon’s Center for the Arts. Prizes include $1,000 for first place, $600 for second and $300 for third. Finalists will also receive professional performance recordings. Registration opened Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 10.
The event honors composer, violinist and conductor Joseph Bologne — commonly known as LeChevalier de Saint-George and featured in the 2023 film, “Chevalier” — who broke racial barriers in European classical music. Born in 1745 in the Caribbean to a woman of Senegalese descent and a French sugar cane plantation owner, Bologne grew up in France where he became a leader in the Paris music scene.
In addition to celebrating Bologne’s work, the competition seeks to expand the repertoire performed by young pianists, encouraging them to explore compositions by underrepresented composers.
“Joseph Bologne’s contributions to classical music have long been overlooked. This competition is an exciting step toward giving him the recognition he deserves and inspiring young musicians to connect with his works,” said Associate Professor of Music Douglas Jurs, co-founder of the competition.
The competition will feature performances from high school pianists who prepare a memorized program lasting 10 to 20 minutes. The program includes a required piece from the newly published, three-volume collection of the “Complete Keyboard Works by Joseph Bologne,” edited by Jurs and Eden Esters Brown ’07. Additional pieces of the performer’s choice will complete entrants’ programs to showcase a range of musical expression.
Jurs and Brown, previously an Elon instructor now pursuing her doctorate in music education and piano pedagogy at Lousiana State University, founded the competition after compiling the “Complete Keyboard Works by Joseph Bologne” from unpublished manuscripts discovered in their research about the composer. Their expertise includes piano and piano pedagogy. The volumes were published by Music by Black Composers, an initiative of the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation to inspire Black musicians and diversify the classical music canon.
“It was astonishing to find that much of Bologne’s work had never seen the light of day,” Jurs said. “In recent years, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in Bologne’s music, recognizing him as a key figure in classical music history.”
The competition furthers Elon’s commitment to supporting diverse voices in the arts. Brown emphasized the importance of raising the profile of composers from historically marginalized populations.
“For minority piano students, we don’t often have the opportunity to study pieces composed by people who look like us,” Brown said. “This initiative adds to the diversity of repertoire available to intermediate piano students.”
The competition is supported by Steinway & Sons, and a Steinway Spirio piano will be provided by Steinway Piano Gallery Greensboro. The Rachel Barton Pine Foundation is also sponsoring the event and has provided a piano for the competition. In addition to monetary prizes, several additional discretionary awards will be given to finalists along with a professional performance recording.
The event will begin with a Gala Opening Recital on Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. in Yeager Recital Hall, featuring renowned violinist Maya Kilburn and pianist Ray Kilburn. The competition will continue the following day, with a preliminary round in the morning and the final round recital open to the public at 7 p.m. in Yeager Auditorium.
For more information about the competition, visit the Elon University Department of Music webpage or contact Douglas Jurs at djurs@elon.edu.