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The crescendo of the 2025 American Piano Awards arrives this weekend, when five musicians will perform at Hilbert Circle Theatre and learn who’s won the Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship.
But Michael Davidman, Avery Gagliano, Sasha Kasman Laude, Elliot Wuu and Angie Zhang haven’t been confined to elite concert halls during the 13-month competition process.
The American Piano Awards, an Indianapolis-based organization that promotes the careers of pianists ages 18 to 30, placed the finalists on stages ranging from the outdoor basketball court at Bicentennial Unity Plaza to Christ Church Cathedral to the Jazz Kitchen.
The Dover Quartet is accompanying the finalists during free midday concerts this week at Christ Church Cathedral on Monument Circle. The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra accompanied the finalists earlier this year during a series of performances at the Indiana History Center. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will perform with the finalists on Friday and Saturday.
Chris Williams, CEO of the American Piano Awards, said a variety of venues and performance configurations helps to highlight skills among the finalists.
“This is a competition, so it challenges these young artists to operate in these different environments and in different collaborations,” Williams said. “The Piano on the Plaza event was very unusual—outdoors on a basketball court.”
Providing access to audiences is another reason to offer a variety of concerts and settings, Williams said. One free midday show at Christ Church Cathedral, 125 Monument Circle, remains on the schedule: Gagliano will perform at noon Friday.
The Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship is awarded every four years to an American classical pianist. The American Piano Awards also oversees a jazz competition every four years that presents the Cole Porter Fellowship. The next jazz competition will culminate with a winner in 2027.
Williams compared the ascent of a pianist to become a professional artist to a high school football player becoming an NFL star.
“One in a million really get there, and that’s how competitive it is,” he said.
Each of the five American Piano Awards finalists receives a cash prize of $25,000. The winner’s prize package includes performance engagements, two years of career management, a recording contract with the Steinway & Sons label and an artist residency at the University of Indianapolis.
Williams said future performances are especially valuable.
“I think one of the most meaningful prizes is the touring they receive,” he said. “They will have a national recital tour as well as a concerto tour. These are not only fabulous performance opportunities and paid engagements, but they are an opportunity for visibility in the industry. It’s a real splash of concerts to get you out there and to launch your career.”
In 2024, the American Piano Awards rebranded from its previous name, the American Pianists Association. The organization was founded as the Beethoven Foundation in New York City in 1979. The Beethoven Foundation moved to Indianapolis in 1982, and the American Pianists Association name was adopted in 1989.
Williams said the latest change was made to feature the organization’s cornerstone program more directly.
“People often thought we were a regranting institution or an organization that serves piano teachers,” he said. “You get enough of those phone calls and at some point you realize, ‘I don’t know that our name is serving us in the way we need it to.’”
American Piano Awards Finals
- When: 7 p.m. Friday and 5:30 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle
- Tickets: $25 to $100
- Info: Visit pianoawards.org.
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There is nowhere in the country where you will be immersed in so much world class classical music than Indianapolis over the course of the year. Emerging pianists are uniquely featured and supported by the APA. Whether you’re being introduced to the world of piano music or savoring your joy of the instrument, this is THE week for you. The APA is a rare gift that keeps on giving and it’s in OUR BACKYARD!! Kudos to all who participate.