Contest Winners, Book 3: 11 Original Piano Solos by Favorite Alfred Composers: Piano

This collection strips away the guesswork about which intermediate pieces actually hold up under performance pressure. The practice and performance tips embedded throughout the book come from someone who has watched these solos succeed at festivals, not from abstract pedagogy, which means your students get advice that addresses real problems they'll encounter.

These pieces balance musical substance with reasonable technical demands. They offer the satisfaction of real artistic expression without overwhelming the player, and they sound genuinely impressive when prepared well.

Intermediate and late intermediate pianists preparing for festivals, competitions, or recitals need reliable, well-vetted solos that sit comfortably in their range. Teachers looking to stock their studios with contest-ready material will find this collection saves enormous time on vetting and planning.

• Study the provided performance tips before touching the keyboard. McArthur's notes often target the specific technical or musical hurdle in each piece, so you'll know what to listen for during practice.
• Record yourself regularly. Festival and contest performances demand confidence, and recorded playback reveals rhythmic sloppiness and tempo fluctuations that feel fine in the moment.
• Identify the piece's central challenge within the first week of learning. Whether it's a hand crossing, a tricky modulation, or a texture shift, isolating this early keeps frustration from derailing your practice.

Feature these solos as your festival rotation or as individual recital pieces throughout the season. Because they're drawn from actual contest lists, they're ideal for students testing themselves in a low-stakes setting before committing to formal competition.

• Sustaining musical phrases across hand positions and shifts
• Technical fluency in intermediate-level left hand patterns
• Balanced tone production across different registers
• Interpretation and stylistic awareness across multiple compositional voices
• Preparation and practice strategies informed by detailed performance notes