Helmi Vesa Piano Competition prizes have been awarded
The competition, intended for piano students at the Sibelius Academy, took place on 5 to 8 March 2026 in Helsinki.
A total of 32 young pianists – all students majoring in piano either in the degree programmes or the Junior Academy – took part. Each competitor performed a self-selected programme lasting 25–30 minutes, which was required to include at least two sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and a minimum of five minutes of music by Franz Liszt. This year’s jury consisted of Ronan O’Hora (chair), Vanessa Cunha, Aleksandar Madžar and Roberto Plano.
The total value of the prizes awarded was €19,800. The prizes were distributed as follows:
Prizes (2000€/student)
- Gabrielé Agilé Bajoraité
- Timur Garist
- Ekaterine Nikoladze
- Otto Popescu
- Yoka Saito
- Elodie Sigrist
Prices (1700€/student)
- Ahti Alavillamo
- Mattias Heina
- Linh Ngyuen
- Kārlis Gusts Zariņš
Junior Academy students (500€/student)
- Ahti Ihonen
- Akira Kawai
The competition’s recognition award was given to Otto Popescu. It is a silver miniature grand piano bearing an engraved plaque with the name of each recipient.
The Helmi Vesa Competition has been organised since 1985 for students of the Sibelius Academy. It was established through a bequest by Helmi Vesa, who created a memorial fund dedicated to supporting outstanding piano students through grants and scholarships. The first competition was held in the 1980s, and it continues to be financed by this fund.
The competition is open to students at the Sibelius Academy whose main subject is piano and who have not yet completed a master’s degree, as well as students of the Junior Academy.
Further information
Secretary General Terhi Luukkonen (terhi.luukkonen@uniarts.fi)