B# Piano Competition
4th Edition 2026
The 4th edition of the B# Piano Competition takes place in Litton Hall, Wesley House from Friday 29th – Sunday 31st May 2026.
Following three successful years and 130+ total participants, this year’s competition promises to be as competitive as ever.
With 18 trophies, countless medals, and two special prizes — the Adjudicator Award (best overall performer) and the Audience Award (most-voted performance) — there is plenty to play for.
This competition is also a fantastic way to keep students motivated and engaged going into the summer, helping them end the year on a high. Every competitor will receive positive, encouraging and detailed feedback to support their ongoing musical development.
All competitors receive written feedback ideal preparation for ABRSM, Royal Irish Academy of Music exams and the prestigious Feis Ceoil.
For students preparing for Feis Ceoil, this competition offers an invaluable test run before the big day, together with focused feedback to support last-minute refinements.
We look forward to welcoming you — and to hearing your performances 🤗
Dr. Billy O'Brien
Competition Adjudicator 2026
Dr Billy O’Brien is currently Assistant Lecturer of Piano at MTU Cork School of Music, having previously taught part-time at TU Dublin Conservatoire and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Billy enjoys combining passions for solo & chamber music performance with teaching and research.
He has appeared as concerto soloist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Hibernian Orchestra, UCD Symphony Orchestra, RIAM Symphony Orchestra, Wexford Sinfonia, and Trinity Orchestra in concertos by Chopin, Ravel, Grieg, Gershwin, and Beethoven.
He has given solo recitals throughout Ireland in venues such as the Field Room, National Concert Hall, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Hugh Lane Gallery, as well as in Spain, France, Finland and the UK. He has appeared in concert series and festivals such as the New Ross Piano Festival, New Music Dublin, Kaleidoscope, Music for Wexford, and the Crawford Gallery, among others. In chamber music, Billy has partnered with many of Ireland’s leading musicians, and he has collaborated with the Crash, Ficino and Kirkos Ensembles.
Billy studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music under the guidance of Therese Fahy and Hugh Tinney, and pursued postgraduate study in Paris with Rena Shereshevskaya. He earned a Doctor in Music Performance degree in 2022 from Trinity College Dublin and the RIAM.
He has presented his research at conferences at home and abroad; notably at the Perform Live Festival Conference at the National Concert Hall 2023; at the Doctors in Performance Conference at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and for the Irish branch of EPTA (European Piano Teacher’s Association). Billy is founder and Artistic Director of the Waterford Chamber Music Festival which was launched in summer 2024.
We are delighted to welcome Billy back as our adjudicator for the 4th Edition of the B# Piano Competition. His wealth of experience will prove invaluable to all the competitors in this year’s B# Piano Competition, and he is looking forward to all the performances!