May 21-24, 2026 in Oxford, MS
Since its inception as a fundraiser for the Monticello, IL Railway Museum in 1975, the World Championship Old Time Piano Playing Contest has hosted more than 1,200 piano contestants from across the U. S. and abroad. Held annually to coincide with Memorial Day weekend, this event boasts the largest, most comprehensive competitive events for pianists steeped in the musical genres of ragtime, traditional jazz and blues. Contestants of all ages will be converging on Oxford to vie for trophies and cash prizes at the University of Mississippi, the Contest’s home since 2016. The event will be emceed by founder Ted Lemen.
There are four primary contests: A New Rag Contest for aspiring composers premiering new ragtime compositions; the Junior Division featuring pianists ages 18-and-under; the Regular Division for the seasoned performers; and the Senior Division for those pianists over 60 years-of-age. Special guests this year include noted artistsJeff Barnhart; Brian Holland; Julie McClarey; Paul Orsi and Bobby van Deusen. In addition to the contests, there are presentations, a catered luncheon with live music; a Silent Movie Luncheon; a youth master class and after-hours events each evening featuring lots of pianists. Our exclusive off-campus venue this year is indoors at The Old Henry located on the Oxford Square at the corner of Jackson Ave. and 10th Street. Admission each evening is a $15 cover charge.
If you love ragtime, jazz, blues, honky-tonk, boogie or novelty songs from the days of Tin Pan Alley, then
you’ll have the time of your life in Oxford this Memorial Day weekend. To capture the flavor of this
event, visit our YouTube Channel for past performances. For a fun-filled four days of fabulous music,
visitwww.oldtimepianocontest.com and purchase tickets for this year’s World Championship. Find us on
Facebook for regular updates. All-event tickets, day passes and individual event tickets are available for purchase online from the event web site and at the door, as space permits. There is something for everyone during this family-friendly weekend. We’ll see you in Oxford May 21-24 for an incredible weekend of old-time music! Questions can be directed to the artistic director Ian Hominick at (662) 801-2251 or oldtimepianocontest@olemiss.edu.
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