Every year over Memorial Day weekend in Oxford, Mississippi, the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest is held to provide opportunities for extraordinary performers to compete and to educate people about old-time piano music written prior to 1940. Through the years, the contest has provided more than $60,000 in prize money to more than 500 piano players from across the United States an
d from five foreign countries. The competition consists of the New Rag Contest; Junior Division (up to age 18); Regular Division (over age 18) and Senior Division (age 60+). Contestants vie for cash prizes, trophies and bragging rights for the coming year. A variety of other activities including workshops, a sing-along variety show, dinner with the previous year's Champion, guest artist concerts and top-notch entertainment on the historic Oxford Square each evening. This is a weekend packed with Ragtime, Tin Pan Alley and Standard tunes played by amazing piano players. You don’t have to play piano to enjoy music that will have your toes tapping. You’ll have a blast at the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest.
