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The Pianoforte Eisteddfod for 2026 was a great success! Entries for 2027 will open on 01 March 2027
Proposed Dates Pianoforte Competition 11 - 20 June 2027
Proposed Dates Celebrating Chopin Junior 19 June 2027
Proposed Dates Celebrating Chopin Senior 20 June 2027
Venue: Ballarat Mechanics Institute, Minerva Sapce, Sturt St, Ballarat
Adjudicators: TBC
A diverse range of sections are offered, including a wide range of options for nocie players, through to advanced. We also offer an array of specialized sections including Adjudicator Quick Study Challenge, Composition or Arrangement, and Accompanist of the Future.
In 2026, we were delighted to announce that thanks to new sponsorship from Bernies Musicland and MrBrakes Bosch Car Service Centre, we were able to increase the prize money across all Pianoforte sections.
We are also excited to offer a special prize: a one-hour coaching session with one of Australia’s leading piano educators, Mr Glenn Riddle.
Junior Chopin for 16 Years and Under
Own choice of one or more complete works or movement of Chopin. Entrants must compete in at least one other Pianoforte section to be eligible to enter. Time Limit 10 mins
1st Prize $500
2nd Prize $300
3rd Prize $150
Encouragement Award $50
Senior Chopin - Margaret Schofield Memorial Prize for a Performance of the Music of Chopin for 17 - 32 Years
Competitors must present at least two significant works of Chopin. The program may include an Etude, a Ballade, Sonata Movement, Scherzo, the Barcarolle or a similar large work. Time Limit 15 - 20 mins.
1st Prize $5000
2nd Prize $2500
3rd Prize $1000
Encouragement Award $500
First place winners in both Chopin sections will also received a free entry into the Kawaii Piano Scholarship for 2027 (video submission)
WIN a coaching session with Glenn Riddle
Glenn Riddle is one of Australis’s leading piano teachers. His students have won every major piano competition in Australia performing with the Melbourne Symphony, Sydney Symphony and Queensland Symphony Orchestras as well as with Orchestra Victoria. They have also won major prizes in international competitions in the USA, Europe, Asia and in Australia, performing with orchestras and ensembles from Salzburg, Geneva, Italy, Morocco, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and Polandanoi Philharmonic.
As well as having been on international juries in the USA, Greece, Israel, Thailand and New Zealand, he is regularly invited to present masterclasses and teacher training workshops throughout Asia and New Zealand, and he continues to perform both locally and internationally.
Glenn Riddle is Senior Lecturer in Keyboard at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, an AMEB Federal Examiner, a member of the AMEB International Examining panel, a member of the National Committee of the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference, a Research Associate at the University of Waikato New Zealand, and Visiting Professor at the Nanjing University of the Arts, China. He has recorded 15 CDs for Tall Poppies, Move Records, Hal Leonard publishing as well as ABC Classics. He also features on the internationally acclaimed DVD Classic Destinations III performing the music of Percy Grainger on Grainger’s own piano. Glenn has also edited or co-edited 12 volumes of piano music for the AMEB, including Series 15
2026 Celebrating Chopin Winners - Dillon Chan (Junior) and Shing Chun Ng (Senior)
Schimmel Pianoforte Competition
Pianoforte — derived from the Italian words “piano” (soft) and “forte” (loud).
The Schimmel Pianoforte Competition at the Royal South Street Society Ballarat Eisteddfod has been the starting point for many successful musical careers. The Eisteddfod provides a unique opportunity for personal and artistic growth — a transformative journey where performers can refine their technique, build confidence, and realise their full potential. We invite you to join us on this path of self-discovery and musical excellence.
The Schimmel Pianoforte Competition is open to participants of all ages.
In 2026, the competition will include five aggregate sections:
• Traditional Piano Solo
• Popular Piano Solo
• Australian Piano Solo
• Piano Recital
• Adjudicator Quick Study
Additional offerings include a range of novice sections, duets, trios, composition, and a new section dedicated to accompanists.
🎹 SPONSORS NEEDED 🎹
Are you passionate about piano?
Do you want to help support the next generation of musicians?
We welcome enquiries about donating prize money for our Pianoforte sections.
For more information, please contact info@royalsouthstreet.com.au
News
Stories
Learn more about the Pianoforte discipline from our collection of stories, historical records and media....
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Explore our history timeline
The Schimmel Pianoforte is a well-established discipline of the Royal South Street Society Ballarat Eisteddfod.
1943
1949
A special meeting of the South Street Society is called to consider whether the Competitions should proceed in view of the polio epidemic sweeping Victoria. It is resolved that competitors under 15 years of age not compete and the Junior Calisthenics Section is also cancelled.
A concert is held to establish a Percy Campbell Memorial Prize to be awarded annually to the Ballarat boy or girl who secures the highest marks in the Piano Solo under 14 years. Although partially blind since birth, Campbell had perfect pitch.
Aboriginal people become Australian citizens.
The Louie Dunn Prize is established in memory of one of Ballarat’s noted teachers of Speech and Dramatic Art. It was established to be the pre-eminent award for Drama in an eisteddfod in Australia, and it remains so.
1963
The Mackay Junior Choral Society travels 2,000 miles to win the Juvenile Choral Contest and win the hearts of local audiences.
The members endeared themselves to their hosts with their fresh personalities and to the audience of the contest with their melodious singing.”
The Piano Accordion Section is no more and new sections are added including Recorder Bands, a Champion Concerto and Spectacular Exercises in the Senior Novice Section.
2024 – MOU with Ballaarat Mechanics Institute
In December 2024, Lindsay Eaton (Board Chair for RSSS) and Paula Nicholson (Board Chair for BMI) signed an MOU joining the two organisations in a creative partnership.
The purpose of the MOU was written as; ‘a collaboration based on a shared goal, that of nurturing and encouraging the talents of aspiring artists in performance arts, whilst acknowledging the benefits of such partnerships within the common goal of community coherence.’
2025 – Office Move
In April 2025, the Royal South Street Society relocated its offices from Lydiard Street, next to Her Majesty’s Theatre, to a new home at 125 Albert Street.
The new premises, located behind Mortgage Choice, were transformed into functional office space and were previously home to the Anita Coutts Dance School dance studio.
The move allowed us to consolidate our Lyric Storage Room and Archives into a single, central location, creating a more efficient workspace. An added bonus was that the new office is entirely on one level, with no stairs, making the bump-in and bump-out process for events significantly easier for staff and volunteers.
2025 – Schimmel K195 Grand Piano
At the launch of the 2025 Season, RSSS unveiled an ambitious goal: to secure a world-class grand piano worthy of the extraordinary talent that graces its stages each year.
What began as a dream quickly became a community movement.
RSSS launched the inspiring Key to Music fundraising campaign — inviting the community to become part of the legacy by sponsoring one of the piano’s 88 keys.
Through the generosity of benefactor Andrew Cochrane — honouring the legacy of his late mother, pianist and teacher Margaret Schofield OAM — and in partnership with Bernie’s Music Land and Schimmel Pianos, the Society announced it would acquire a Schimmel Konzert Grand K195.
In a thrilling surprise at the Season Launch, it was revealed that the chosen instrument would be upgraded to the K195 Konzert Grand — placing Ballarat among the custodians of one of the finest competition grand pianos in Australia.
2025 – Showcase returns
After more than a decade, the Royal South Street Society Showcase made a welcome return in 2025, celebrating the extraordinary talent, dedication and diversity of performers who take part in Australia’s longest-running performing arts eisteddfod.
The Showcase had not been held since 2014. A combination of factors contributed to its absence over the intervening years, including staff turnover, funding challenges, the closure of Her Majesty’s Theatre, and the significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the Royal South Street Society enjoying renewed momentum and the performing arts community once again thriving, 2025 provided the perfect opportunity to revive this much-loved tradition.
The successful return of the Showcase was warmly embraced by performers, teachers, families and audiences alike, reaffirming its place as a treasured event on the South Street calendar. As the Society looks to the future, the 2025 Showcase stands as a reminder of the enduring strength of the performing arts and the vibrant community that supports them.
We thank all performers, teachers, accompanists, volunteers and supporters who helped make the return of the Royal South Street Society Showcase such a memorable occasion. We look forward to seeing this cherished tradition continue for many years to come.
2025 – The Royal Treasure Trail
The Royal Treasure Trail was established in 2025, with the help of Tourism Midwest Victoria, to encourage our participants and families to stay and explore the treasures of Ballarat while in town for the Eisteddfod. Just over 30 local businesses signed up to take part!