Croatian pianist Stipe Prskalo competed in the quarter-finals of the Dublin International Piano Competition (DIPC) out of a total of 160 competitors. The quarter-finals for 26 competitors were held at the Royal Irish Academy of Music from 9 to 11 May 2025, and Stipe performed on Saturday 10 May with a performance of Obsidian Song by Irish composer David Coonan, Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 19 by A. Scriabin and Sonata in A flat major Op. 110 by L. van Beethoven.
The DIPC competition has been held for more than 30 years. It was founded in 1987 at the initiative of Irish pianist John O’Connor and the Public Relations Department of the Irish national television station RTE. The competition offers a generous prize fund, but perhaps more important are the prestigious engagements for debut concerts in London and New York, as well as performances and engagements throughout Ireland.
Stipe Prskalo was born in Split in 2003 and began playing the piano at the age of eight with Prof. Tajana Philips at the Elly Bašić Music School in Zagreb. He continued his education in the class of Prof. Srebrenka Crnković Završki, and is currently studying with Prof. Ruben Dalibaltayan at the Music Academy in Zagreb. Stipe is a winner of several international competitions including the 29th Giulio Rospigliosi Competition - Robert Schumann Award, where he also won the Audience Award, the Jurica Murai Memorial International Piano Competition in Varaždin in 2016 and 2018, the Janez Matičič International Piano Competition in Ljubljana in 2018. The young pianist has attended numerous courses with Grigori Gruzman, Milana Chernyavska, Yuli Gubaidulina, Dalibor Cikojević and Đorde Stanetti, and is also a scholarship holder of the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein.
Stipe praised the organization of the competition, which was at an extremely high level, as well as the quality of the competitors themselves. He emphasized that this was an extremely positive experience for him, in terms of making new contacts and professional development. With his performance, Stipe showed exceptional talent and quality, and won the audience over with a strong artistic impression.
Nani Klepo, second secretary, followed the competition on behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Dublin.
News
