2026 JUNIOR CONTEST
Saturday, May 23 @ 9 am
Download Here
These are the Official Rules for the 2026 edition of the World Championship Old-time Piano Playing Contest and Festival. The “Piano Contest” rules below have been revised, so please read them carefully.
Note: *On Saturday, May 23, 2026 all contestants must draw for playing order at 8:00 a.m. in Rm. #153 of the Music Building. There will be no separate Contest for the Junior Division, rather, Junior, Regular and Senior contestants will be mixed together in the Preliminary Round based on the morning draw of playing position.
JUNIOR DIVISION RULES
* Note: Junior contestants should also read all of the Regular Division rules, as many apply to both divisions! Beginning in 2026, the “theme” piece now applies to Junior competitors.
ELIGIBILITY: Junior contestants are defined as those 18-years-of-age or under on the day of competition. Any contestant winning the Junior Division a total of three (3) times (not necessarily in consecutive years) may no longer compete in the Junior Division. However, the age requirement will be waived for them, and they may then compete in the Regular Division.
FORMAT: Up to ten (10) Junior Division contestants play on Saturday and the Junior Division champ will be announced at the close of the Preliminary Round at the end of the day. Each Junior Division contestant must prepare two (2) selections, one of which must have either “food” or “drink” in the title (see sample list of possible repertoire).
PRIZES: The Junior Champion will be awarded a prize of $1,000 and a permanent trophy. A second-place prize of $500 and third-place prize of $250 will also be awarded. The Junior Division champion is traditionally invited to make a special appearance Sunday afternoon to play a tune on stage prior to the beginning of the Semi-Final Round.
TIME LIMIT: A total of eight (8) minutes playing time is allowed for each contestant’s performance of both their tunes (not including time for audience applause, interview time with the emcee, etc.). The penalty for playing in excess of the time limit prescribed is five (5) points for each 30 seconds, or fraction thereof, of overtime.
ENTRY FEE: The entry fee for the Junior Division is $50 with a penalty fee for late entry $25 if not received by the May 1 deadline. This entry fee is not refundable unless the contest is canceled. The Contest Coordinator, Paul Orsi, will answer any questions regarding rules or repertoire at this address: orsiragtime@gmail.com. No entry will be considered official until the appropriate fee is received.
PARENTAL CONSENT: Contestants in the Junior Division must have their entry confirmed by a parent or guardian by means of a separate email to the Contest Director at oldtimepianocontest@olemiss.edu. Note that parents are required to be present during the Contest and monitor the safety of their child at all times while on campus. The Contest does not provide chaperones for minors and the University is not responsible for the well-being of any contestant.
Questions about the rules or repertoire selections? Contact the Contest Coordinator Paul Orsi at orsiragtime@gmail.com.