6th Cafetalk Online Piano Competition Opens for Entries; First Prize is 3 Months of Online Piano Lessons

Call for Entries for the 6th Cafetalk Online Piano Competition

Small Bridge Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kotaro Hashizume), which operates 'Cafetalk (https://cafetalk.com/)', Japan's largest online lesson platform connecting instructors from 90 countries with students seeking lessons from 130 countries, began general recruitment for the 6th Cafetalk Online Piano Competition on Friday, May 29, 2026.

About the 6th Cafetalk Online Piano Competition

Creating a borderless stage for performance and challenge for those learning piano online.

This is an online piano competition using a video submission format, allowing participation from anywhere in the world.
There are Elementary School Division and General Division, with an entry fee of 5,500 yen (tax included) for both. Three renowned pianists will judge and provide feedback to all participants.

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The 6th Judges

This is an online piano competition where you simply submit a video; anyone with an internet connection can participate, regardless of where they live.

Certificates and supplementary prizes are awarded to top winners.

Prizes for Top Winners of the 6th Cafetalk Online Piano Competition

1st Place

⚫︎ 3-Month Lesson Ticket
(3000pt x 12 tickets, total 36,000 points*) *Equivalent to 39,600 yen (tax included)

⚫︎ 2027 Music Recital Participation Fee
(Full fee exemption of 22,000 yen)

⚫︎ Certificate

2nd Place

⚫︎ 1-Month Lesson Ticket
(3000pt x 4 tickets, total 12,000pt*) *Equivalent to 13,200 yen (tax included)

⚫︎ 2027 Music Recital Participation Fee
(Half fee subsidy of 11,000 yen)

⚫︎ Certificate

3rd Place

⚫︎ Certificate

Participation Prize (for everyone)

⚫︎ Book Card NEXT worth 500 yen

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Why 'Cafetalk' Started the Online Piano Competition

On Cafetalk (https://cafetalk.com/), Japan's largest online lesson platform, the first online piano lesson was conducted in March 2014, approximately 10 years ago.
Since then, over 100,000 online piano lessons have been provided, with a cumulative total of over 5,000 students.
Currently, 91 instructors are registered, including active professional pianists from across Japan, Europe, America, and Asia, offering over 500 types of online piano lessons.

▶︎ Go to Piano Lesson List

The appeal of online piano lessons is that you are no longer limited to finding a teacher within commuting distance; you can learn borderlessly from the teacher you truly want to learn from.

With the desire to create a place where, just like learning, the stage for performance and challenge is not limited by the region you live in, and anyone in Japan or anywhere in the world can participate, we plan to hold this competition regularly twice a year, in May and November.

Overview of the 6th Cafetalk Online Piano Competition

Entry Period: May 29, 2026 - June 30, 2026
Video Submission Period: June 30, 2026 - July 31, 2026
Judging Period: August 1, 2026 - August 12, 2026
Announcement: August 20, 2026 (Thursday)
Announcement Method: Cafetalk website, various SNS, press release
Eligibility: Elementary School Division: Children learning piano (equivalent to Japanese elementary school students) General Division: No age limit. Participants from any country or region are welcome.
*Those not taking lessons on Cafetalk are also eligible to participate.
Entry Fee: 5,000 points (equivalent to 5,500 yen including tax). Payment for points can be made in various currencies.
Number of Participants: Up to 20 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will close once the slots are filled.
Special Page URL: https://cafetalk.com/campaign/2026/event/music/piano-competition-06/?lang=ja

Receive Feedback from a Panel of Distinguished Judges

All participants will receive feedback summarizing the good points and advice on their performance from three pianists who have achieved excellent results in various competitions and are also active as professionals.

Introduction of the Judges for the 6th Cafetalk Online Piano Competition

Rina Sudo

Profile

Graduated from Showa University of Music (Performer II). Resides in Poland. At the young age of 6, she performed Mozart's concerto with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Naozumi Yamamoto at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, receiving high acclaim. From an early age, she has achieved excellent results in domestic and international competitions, including 1st place in Category A of the 6th International Ettlingen Competition for Young Pianists, Silver Prize and Oji Prize in the G Grade of the 26th PTNA Piano Competition National Finals, the Fukuda Yasuko Prize (1st place) at the 2nd Fukuda Yasuko Prize Selection, 4th place at the 5th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition, highest rank and youngest 5th place for a Japanese contestant at the 7th Dublin International Piano Competition (Ireland), 3rd place at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (USA), 3rd place at the I Krystian Tkaczewski International Piano Competition (Poland), and participation in the 2010 and 2015 Chopin International Piano Competition (Poland).
She has also performed frequently with orchestras, often invited as a soloist by major orchestras in Japan and abroad, including the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Krakow Chamber Orchestra (Poland). She has performed numerous solo recitals and concerts in Italy, New Zealand, Poland, France, and various locations in Japan, receiving high acclaim. She has received the Utsunomiya City Citizen Award, Utsunomiya City Mayor's Special Award, and the Kawasaki City Azalea Hikari Award.

Nao Mieno

Profile

After completing her bachelor's and master's degrees at Tokyo University of the Arts, she completed a master's program at the Chopin University of Music. In 2017, she won the Special Silver Prize (2nd place) at the PTNA Piano Competition, Japan's largest piano competition. In 2015, she obtained a diploma at the Chopin International Piano Competition, one of the world's three major competitions. She has achieved top prizes in the Chopin International Piano Competition in ASIA (Gold Prize in the Asia High School Division, Silver Prize in the Concerto Division, Finalist in the Dispatch Division). She has also achieved top prizes in numerous other competitions and performed in many concerts in Japan and abroad. She has performed with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Lutoslawski Chamber Orchestra, and the Namislawski Symphony Orchestra (Poland's oldest orchestra). She has also given recitals at the Polish Summer International Piano Festival and Chopin Piano Concerts held at Lazienki Park. Upon graduating from a Japanese university, she obtained a Type 1 High School Teaching License (Music). She is a part-time lecturer at the Music Department of Hyogo Prefectural Nishinomiya High School. She is a regular member of the All Japan Piano Instructors Association and the Takarazuka Performers Federation.

Mai Sakamoto

Profile

[Teaching Achievements]
Received the PTNA Piano Competition 2024 New Instructor Award.
Received the 18th Beethoven Music Competition Excellent Instructor Award.
Received the Burgmuller Competition 2025 Lesson Award.
[Instructor Profile]
Tokyo University of the Arts
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