The World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival is an annual event that takes place over Memorial Day Weekend in Oxford, MS every year.
The contest started in 1975[1] as a fundraiser for the Monticello Railway Museum, and remained in Monticello, IL for the first twelve competitions. The first eleven contests brought in many viewers after the first champion, Joybelle Squibb, appeared on the Mike Douglas Show, and audiences to the contest brought lawn chairs to the event, and arranged them around the location of the contest. The first eleven contests took place at the Monticello Railway Museum utilizing a piano on the back of a caboose, and the twelfth contest took place on the football field of the Monticello High School. This particular contest happened to take place on the same day as the 1986 Hands Across America event. The threat of traffic from this particular reason as well as the threat of rains the day of the contest deterred almost all possible contest goers from the event. In 1987, due to the drop in interest because of the varying weather conditions, the contest was moved to the Holiday Inn in Decatur, IL. The contest remained in Decatur until in mid 1990s, when it was moved to Peoria, IL. In Peoria, the contest took place at the Four Points by Sheraton, Hotel Pere Marquette,[2] and Embassy Suites throughout the contest's history in the town, and after hours parties were hosted at Shakey's Pizza Parlor in Champaign, IL. In 2016, the contest was moved to University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS, the current residence of the contest.[3] As of 2025, the main contests and presentations take place at the David H. Nutt Auditorium of the University of Mississippi, and the after hours concerts and parties take place at the Old Henry in downtown Oxford.
Rules
There are several divisions of the contest. The junior and senior divisions have similar rules to the regular division, which requires that pianists play selections written no later than 1939 and adhering to the following definition of "old time music":
"The style of piano playing found primarily in public venues of performance between 1890 and 1939, particularly in bars and piano competitions, consisting of popular songs and instrumentals of that era, including ragtime, traditional jazz, novelty, stride, and boogie, but excluding advanced chord progressions more commonly found by 1940 or later in symphonic, modern jazz and bebop music forms. Selections may also include music idiomatic to solo piano performance and popular dance styles."-Official World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival Rules.[4]
Contestants are also judged on their costumes.
There is also a "New Rag Contest", which requires that pianist play their own original compositions.
Winners
The contest is split into three different Divisions and one individual contest. These are:
Regular Division
Junior Division
Senior Division
New Rag Contest
Regular Division
The Regular Division is open to old-time piano players aged from 18 years old to 65 years old.
Note: On the tables below, an asterisk next to a name denotes a three-time (thus retired) contestant.
The Junior Division is open to all old-time pianist ages 0 to 18. The table below shows all of the past winners of the Junior Division from 1985 to 2024, because from when the contest started (1975) to 1984 Junior contestants were mixed into the Regular Division. In 1985, it was deemed that it was too difficult for Junior contestants to be successful in that setting, and the Junior Division was formed.
Note: The "Theme Piece" rule from the Regular Division does not apply to the Junior Division.
The Senior Division is open to all pianists aged 60 years old or older. The table below shows all of the winners of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest from 2018, when it was deemed more suitable for senior to have their own division, to 2024.
Year
Name
Country
Notes
2018
John Remmers
USA
2019
Bobby van Deusen*
USA
2020
-No Contest-
N/A
An online virtual showcase occurred this year
2021
-No Contest-
N/A
An online virtual showcase occurred this year
2022
Bobby van Deusen*
USA
2023
Bobby van Deusen*
USA
2024
Faye Ballard
USA
2025
Tim Barton
USA
New Rag Contest
The New Rag Contest is open to all pianists of any ages. Below is a table of all of the winners of the New Rag Contest from 1997 to 2024.
Year
Name
New Rag
Country
Notes
1997
Gale Foehner
"Crondolette Rag"
USA
This composition is often misspelled as "Carondelet"
An online virtual New Rag Contest occurred this year
2022
Warren Ertle
"Yellow Hammer Rag"
USA
Tie between Warren Ertle and Sam Post
2022
Sam Post
"Angels' Watch Rag"
USA
Tie between Warren Ertle and Sam Post
2023
Adam Swanson, Paul Orsi, Tom Lakeland
"Transatlantic Rag"
USA, USA, GBR
Named for the "transatlantic" relationship between the composers
2024
Tom Lakeland
"Woodpecker Rag"
GBR
2025
Jared Szabo
"Gateway Rag"
USA
First winner under the age of 18
Duet Contest
The Duet Contest was open to all pianists, as long as they entered with a partner. Below is a table of all of the winners of the Duet Contest from when it was formed in 2016, to when it was dropped in 2019 to make way for the new Senior Division.
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