Oregon’s first-ever professional-level piano competition comes to Beall Concert Hall Oct. 8 through 10 on the University of Oregon campus. Presented by the Oregon Piano Institute (OPI), the Murdock International Piano Competition features eight elite musicians from around the world, selected by an international jury panel that reviewed nearly 200 applications in the online selection round. The selected artists include Chi-Jo Lee from Taiwan, Seongwoo Moon from South Korea and Zhu Wang from China. The opening night features performances by competition judges and acclaimed pianists Bernadene Blaha, Angela Cheng and Steven Spooner. The concert also features a four-hands piano performance by Cheng and Alvin Chow. Composers include Chopin, Mozart, Brahms and Fauré. The judged competition begins Oct. 9, with the semifinal round featuring works selected by the performers from composers Haydn, Debussy and Liszt. Only three pianists advance to the final round, Oct. 10, performing works by Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Bach, Liszt and more. The winner will be announced that night and receives a $7,000 prize and several performance opportunities around the state. OPI Artistic Director Alexandre Dossin says interest in the Murdock competition was stronger than expected. “The Eugene audience will have a unique opportunity to experience 12 world-class pianists,” including the four adjudicators performing in the opening ceremonies. “It will be a true festival of piano music, right here, in Beall Hall,” Dossin says.

The Murdock International Piano Competition kicks off 7 pm Thursday, Oct. 8, the semifinal round is 5 pm to 10:30 pm Friday, Oct. 9 and the final round is 6 pm to 9 pm Friday, Oct. 10, all at Beall Concert Hall, 1098 East 18th Avenue. Admission to the semifinal round is free. Tickets to the opening ceremonies and the final round are $15 and available at the door or at MusicandDance.UOregon.edu.