The three gold medal winners of the 2025 Rubato International Piano Competition in Classical and Jazz returned to the stage of the Oxford Performing Arts Center where they walked away one year ago as the best of the best.

The special concert, held Thursday, August 13, 2026, also featured the artistry of the OPAC technical team, who turned the stage into a chandelier-centered space where the audience could observe the hands on the keyboards in an up-close and intimate setting.

OPAC director of Music Education and Rubato founder and director Julio Barreto noted the achievements of the medalists since they departed last year’s competition in Oxford.

Classical medalist Shixun Song made his debut with the Boston Pops as a Grand Prize winner of the Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition.

Jazz medalist Tomas Jonasson has been performing as an artist-in-residence in residence in Brazil, has recently been named an artist-in-residence at the Strathmore Arts Center in Maryland, and has an album being readied for release.

Classical medalist Huan-Ching Chou was awarded first prize at the 2026 Lancaster International Piano Competition and received first prize and a gold medal at the Weatherford College International Piano Competition in Texas.

Barreto said since its founding in 2022, Rubato has already become “one of the most prestigious and largest competitions in the world and the only one that features jazz and classical music in a single event.”

He added that the competition has drawn adjudicators who are not only members of the Steinway Piano Hall of Fame, but also are connected with major musical academic institutions including Juilliard, Berklee, the University of Michigan, and the University of Georgia.

“We have had applicants from 35 countries, every continent, and 40 states,” Barreto said. “Rubato has also awarded $300,000 in prizes and scholarships.”

Barreto also treated the audience to a preview of “Rubato:  Behind the Keys,” a 90-minute behind-the-scenes documentary filmed during the 2025 Rubato finals and produced by the Oxford High School Jacket Media students with a scheduled air date on Alabama Public Television in September.

Those wishing to be a part of the 2027 Rubato International Piano Competition in Classical and Jazz with a financial gift can visit www.rubatopiano.org.