World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival

World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival The World Championship of Old-Time Piano Playing is an annual festival held every Memorial Day Weeke

Every year over Memorial Day weekend in Oxford, Mississippi, the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest is held to provide opportunities for extraordinary performers to compete and to educate people about old-time piano music written prior to 1940. Through the years, the contest has provided more than $60,000 in prize money to more than 500 piano players from across the United States and from five foreign countries. The competition consists of the New Rag Contest; Junior Division (up to age 18); Regular Division (over age 18) and Senior Division (age 60+). Contestants vie for cash prizes, trophies and bragging rights for the coming year. A variety of other activities including workshops, a sing-along variety show, dinner with the previous year's Champion, guest artist concerts and top-notch entertainment on the historic Oxford Square each evening. This is a weekend packed with Ragtime, Tin Pan Alley and Standard tunes played by amazing piano players. You don’t have to play piano to enjoy music that will have your toes tapping. You’ll have a blast at the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest.

09/11/2026

The diverse and storied musical career of Earl Wild, one of the most prodigious and virtuosic pianists of the 20th century.The unique trajectory of Wild's caree…

2026 Junior Division Champion Max Libertor!
08/23/2026

2026 Junior Division Champion Max Libertor!

The World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest is held every...

Here is our 2026 Senior Champion Faye Ballard in action from this past May.
08/19/2026

Here is our 2026 Senior Champion Faye Ballard in action from this past May.

The World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest is held every...

08/15/2026

Student Spotlight Saturday!

Music major (piano) Michael Flores won the Tom Brier Scholarship award from the Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival in Sutter Creek, California earlier this month.

Congratulations Michael!

08/14/2026

Musicians will be playing songs from more than 100 years ago at the Fox River Trolley Museum’s Ragtime Festival in South Elgin.

Enjoy the 2026 Final Round performance from our 2026 Regular Division Champion David Cavalari!
08/10/2026

Enjoy the 2026 Final Round performance from our 2026 Regular Division Champion David Cavalari!

The World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest is held every...

Happy August everyone! The contestant videos from the 2026 Contest are now available to view on the Contest YouTube Chan...
08/04/2026

Happy August everyone! The contestant videos from the 2026 Contest are now available to view on the Contest YouTube Channel. We'll be making plans for the 2027 Contest in Oxford shortly and have the web site updated by early November with contestant registration open before Thanksgiving. Thank you for attending, donating and providing encouragement over the years.

Here is the 2026 New Rag Champion Max Libertor playing his original Rag "The Tipsy Elephant" from this past May. Max will be pursuing music studies at Berkley this Fall and we wish him well!

The World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest is held every...

Congratulations to our 2026 Junior Champion Max Libertor for his recent appearance on National Public Radio's "From the ...
06/02/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Junior Champion Max Libertor for his recent appearance on National Public Radio's "From the Top." Hear Max perform Jelly Roll Morton's "Perfect Rag" and talk about his interest in composing and future plans. Max's interview begins at 13 min. 48 secs. Judy Tsai Libertor West Coast Ragtime Festival Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation

Podcast Episode · From the Top · June 1 · 36m

Select photos from the 2026 Contest are now available on our Contest web site!
06/01/2026

Select photos from the 2026 Contest are now available on our Contest web site!

Address

Old-Time Piano Contest C/o University Of Mississippi Department Of Music
University, MS
38677

Telephone

+6628012251

Website

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