East Carolina Piano Festival

07/09/2026

Already reminiscing about ECPF 2026?

From inspiring masterclasses, conversations, and unforgettable concerts to new friendships and countless memorable moments, this year's ECPF was one to remember. Have a look at our group photo to celebrate another year in the books!

07/06/2026

That’s a wrap on ECPF 2026!

This week brought together five extraordinary guest artists, three faculty artists, three evenings of concerts, and seventeen young pianists from across the country and around the world, culminating in two final recitals from our Young Artist Program participants yesterday. Behind every note was a community of people who believe that world-class music belongs in Greenville.

Thank you to our guest and faculty artists, our amazing staff, and, of course, all the amazing Young Artist Participants who achieved so much this week. We are so inspired by you.
And, a big thank you to you, our community, for being part of it. We wouldn’t exist without you… and we hope to see you again in 2027!

07/04/2026

The young pianists in our Young Artists Program have spent the week studying with world-class artists. Tomorrow, they take the stage to show off their impressive growth, and you’re invited!

July 5, 2026
10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

These recitals are free and open to the public. Come hear what a week of intensive, meaningful study sounds like. You will be inspired!

ECU School of Music, ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

To request Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations for any of these events, please contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours in advance at 252-737-1018 or [email protected]

07/04/2026

Last night, ECPF was delighted to welcome Stephen Beus to the stage for an unforgettable evening of music.

Thank you to those who joined us in the audience. It was fascinating to hear how Stephen thoughtfully intertwined and connected the works of Medtner and Yedidia. We hope you enjoyed the performance as much as we did!

The festival continues Sunday, June 5, with our two Young Artist Performances at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Join us as we celebrate the incredible hard work and artistry of our participants. We look forward to seeing you there!

ECU School of Music, ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

To request Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations for any of these events, please contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours in advance at 252-737-1018 or [email protected]

07/02/2026

Today, Stephen Beus takes the stage at ECPF 2026!

Tickets: go.ecu.edu/pianofestival
$25 General | $10 Student | $60 Season Pass

We asked Stephen about his concert today and learned some really interesting things:
Stephen describes great music as something like a diary entry: a private message from the composer, something personal and meaningful from their emotional world. He chose the pieces on his July 2 program to explore this idea.

He also programs his recitals with his large family in mind, most of whom aren’t musicians– he wants everyone to feel engaged and leave having had a meaningful, emotional experience, no matter their musical background. This is a wonderful concert to bring a friend to, especially one who has never been to a solo piano recital.

Three of Nikolai Medtner's Forgotten Melodies form the heart of the evening. Medtner was a contemporary of Rachmaninov (and, by Rachmaninov's own account, the greatest composer of their time), yet his music isn’t performed so often today. Written in the years just after World War I and the Russian Revolution, these are pieces Stephen hears as acts of memory. "Perhaps as if the composer is remembering a time before these bloody conflicts," he says.

Threaded between them are short preludes from a children's collection by living composer Ronn Yedidia, pieces that, as Stephen puts it, "express so much music in so few notes." The contrast with Medtner is intentional and striking.

Stephen will connect the Medtner and Yedidia works through improvisation, letting the music find its own conversation in the moment. And, to set the stage for all of this, the evening opens with Mendelssohn's early Sonata in E Major. It is lyrical, rarely heard, and a beautiful entry point.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described Stephen this way: they had nearly given up hope America would produce another great native-born pianist… and then Stephen walked onstage.

ECU School of Music. ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

To request Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations for any of these events, please contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours in advance at 252-737-1018 or [email protected]

06/30/2026

Today, pianist Wei-Yi Yang takes the stage at ECPF 2026!

Tuesday, June 30, 7:30 p.m.

"Be ready to wonder, wander to wherever the tune journeys. Behold the colors, atmosphere or memories that music may trigger if one listens with an open heart."
— Wei-Yi on today’s recital

Hailed as "sensational" by The New York Times, Wei-Yi has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and across four continents. Today’s recital pairs Schubert and Prokofiev (including an unexpectedly songful side of Prokofiev drawn from his Cinderella) and closes with festival director Keiko Sekino joining him for Schubert's Fantasy in F minor, one of the great four-hand works in the repertoire.
It’s a recital you won’t want to miss! Get your tickets now:

Tickets: go.ecu.edu/pianofestival
$25 General | $10 Student | $60 Season Pass

ECU School of Music, ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

To request Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations for any of these events, please contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours in advance at 252-737-1018 or [email protected]

06/28/2026

Last night’s Festival Opening Concert was a vibrant celebration of artistry—featuring a diverse and exciting program that showcased extraordinary musicianship and a wide range of musical styles.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in the audience. It was an inspiring opening to ECPF 2026, and we’re glad you were there to enjoy it with us!

The festival continues on Tuesday, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. with Wei-Yi Yang. It will be another wonderful evening. We hope you will bring a friend and join us.

Tickets: https://music.ecu.edu/summer/piano-festival/
$25 General | $10 Student

ECU School of Music, ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

To request Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations for any of these events, please contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours in advance at 252-737-1018 or [email protected]

06/27/2026

The Festival Opening Concert is today!

Saturday, June 27, 7:30 p.m.

The Opening Concert brings four extraordinary pianists to the stage of A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall, each with their own voice and virtuosity. Together, they offer a first glimpse of the artistry that will unfold over our festival week.
Below is a sneak peek at the program and why it’s one you won’t want to miss!

Tickets: go.ecu.edu/pianofestival
$25 General | $10 Student | $60 Season Pass
Discounted group tickets for 6+ via email: [email protected]

Yukiko Sekino, an Affiliated Artist at MIT and gold medalist of the International Russian Music Piano Competition, opens the evening with Chopin — music she describes as capturing "the essence" of a composer who could transport listeners to another world entirely. Her program includes the luminous Berceuse in D-flat, the brilliant Waltz Op. 42, and two Preludes that span the intimate and the urgent.
Samuel S Gingher, ECU faculty pianist and a scholar with a deep interest in rare and overlooked repertoire, brings something less familiar to the program: two movements from Charles Tomlinson Griffes' Roman Sketches — impressionistic tone paintings titled "The Fountain of the Acqua Paola" and "Clouds." Griffes, an American contemporary of Ravel and Debussy, is seldom heard in recital, so we are in for a rare treat.
Kwan Yi, co-founder of ECPF and a graduate of the Curtis Institute and Juilliard, performs two movements from Liszt's Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie — music born of Liszt's travels through Italy and his deep engagement with Petrarch's poetry.
And Alan H Woo, praised by the New York Times for his "assurance and vitality" and currently on faculty at the University of Georgia, closes the program with Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, ending the evening with elegance and exhilarating precision.
This concert is the perfect beginning to a week of high-caliber music. We hope you'll invite a friend and join us!

ECU School of Music, ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

To request Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations for any of these events, please contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours in advance at 252-737-1018 or [email protected]

06/23/2026

We’re getting so excited about ECPF 2026! Only four more days until we kick it off with a dazzling Opening Concert (ticket info below).

In the meantime, enjoy learning a bit more about the festival through this video!

Tickets: go.ecu.edu/pianofestival
$25 General | $10 Student | $60 Season Pass
Discounted group tickets for 6+ via email: [email protected]

June 27, 7:30 p.m. | Festival Opening Concert
June 30, 7:30 p.m. | Wei-Yi Yang in Recital
July 2, 7:30 p.m. | Stephen Beus in Recital
July 5, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. | Young Artist Final Concerts (Free)

ECU School of Music, ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

To request Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations for any of these events, please contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours in advance at 252-737-1018 or [email protected]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tbiTWSW9AQ

Guest artists joined ECU School of Music professors in hosting the ...

06/22/2026

The 2026 East Carolina Piano Festival is just days away!

With three ticketed evening concerts of world-class piano and two free student recitals, it’s the kind of thing you'd drive to Raleigh for, except it's right here in Greenville, NC. Perfect for a date night, outing with friends, or social group get-together.

Three evenings of extraordinary piano music come to A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall between June 27 and July 2, plus two free Young Arist Recitals on Sunday, July 5.

If you haven't secured your tickets yet, now is the time. We hope you will bring a friend and join us!

Tickets: go.ecu.edu/pianofestival
$25 General | $10 Student | $60 Season Pass
Discounted group tickets for 6+ via email: [email protected]

June 27, 7:30 p.m. | Festival Opening Concert
June 30, 7:30 p.m. | Wei-Yi Yang in Recital
July 2, 7:30 p.m. | Stephen Beus in Recital
July 5, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. | Young Artist Final Concerts (Free)

ECU School of Music, ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville NC

To request Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations for any of these events, please contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours in advance at 252-737-1018 or [email protected]