Dublin International Piano Festival & Summer Academy announces its return for 2016 and is excited to bring a captivating concert series.

Highlights for 2016 include a concert from American composer and pianist Frederic Rzewski in Dublin’s Hugh Lane Gallery, where he will perform his Grammy Award nominated piece The People United Will Never Be Defeated. Rzewski has also been commissioned by this year’s festival to compose a work specifically to mark the 1916 Centenary, which he will premiere during his performance in the Hugh Lane.

A most spectacular highlight of the 2016 programme is Sublime to Monumental, a solo performance in the National Concert Hall July 28th, that will feature international piano superstar Barry Douglas.

Other artists set to appear are ragtime and jazz pianist Ethan Uslan from North Carolina and classical pianist Jean Muller from Luxembourg, both of whom will be treating audiences to performances in the Hugh Lane Gallery.

As always, the festival’s summer academy will welcome emerging pianists from all over the world where they will immerse themselves in a week of intense tuition from renowned instructors and experts in piano performance. This year the festival is honoured to have the addition of celebrated Irish pianist Barry Douglas to its teaching faculty along with Director of DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama Dr. Orla McDonagh.

“It is an enormous privilege to have the participation of some of the world’s most esteemed pianists at DIPF 2016, who will undoubtedly provide the best in piano performance,” says festival Artistic Director Dr. Archie Chen. “We also look forward to hosting up and coming piano stars in our summer academy, and hope to see them use it as a platform on which to launch their careers.”

For more information on Dublin International Piano Festival & Summer Academy visit www.pianofestival.ie. Tickets will be available on eventbrite.ie and nch.ie.