World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival

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 name "Old-Time Piano Playing" refers to the genre of Ragtime, Traditional Jazz, Novelty, Stride Piano, and Boogie-woogie.

History The contest started in 1975 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 using 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, 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. 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.

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. +Past Regular Division WinnersYearNameCountryNotes1975Joybelle SquibbUSAMother of actress June Squibb, appeared on the Mike Douglas Show1976Joybelle SquibbUSA1977Dorothy M. Herrold*USA1978Dorothy M. Herrold*USA1979Dorothy M. Herrold*USA1980Bruce PetscheUSA1981Mark Haldorson*USA1982Mark Haldorson*USA1983Mark Haldorson*USA1984Janet KaizerUSA1985Janet KaizerUSA1986Ron Trotta*USAWent on to become New York's "Musical TV Weatherman"1987Ron Trotta*USA1988Ron Trotta*USA1989Julie McClarey*USA1990Marty MincerUSA1991"Professor" Bill EdwardsUSA1992Paul GronemeierUSA1993Marty MincerUSA1994Mimi BlaisUSA1995Julie McClarey*USA1996Julie McClarey*USA1997Brian Holland*USA1998Brian Holland*USA1999Brian Holland*USA2000Mimi BlaisUSA2001Dan MouyardUSA2002Adam DowneyUSA2003Dan MouyardUSA2004Adam Yarian*USA2005Adam Yarian*USA2006Adam Yarian*USA2007Ethan Uslan*USA2008Adam Swanson*USAOnly Four-Time Winner of the Contest2009Adam Swanson*USA2010Adam Swanson*USA2011Martin SpitznagelUSA2012Ethan Uslan*USA2013Russell WilsonUSAPianist for the "Presidents Own" US Marine Band2014Ethan Uslan*USA2015Adam Swanson*USA2016William McNallyUSA2017William McNallyUSA2018Jean Baptiste-FrancFRAFirst international winner of the contest (from France)2019Paul Orsi*USAWorked as a ragtime pianist at Disneyland's "Coke Corner"2020 -No Contest-N/AAn online virtual showcase occurred this year2021 -No Contest-N/AAn online virtual showcase occurred this year2022Eve ElliotUSAFirst female winner in more than 20 years2023Paul Orsi*USA2024Paul Orsi*USA2025Russell WilsonUSAPianist for the "Presidents Own" US Marine Band

Junior Division 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. +Past Junior Division WinnersYearNameCountyNotes1985Neil Moe*USA1986Neil Moe*USA1987Neil Moe*USA1988Dax Baumgartner*USAWent on to become the Keyboardist for NSYNC1989Dax Baumgartner*USA1990Dax Baumgartner*USA1991Adam Downey*USA1992Adam Downey*USA1993Adam Downey*USA1994Marty SammonUSAWent on to become Buddy Guy's Pianist/Keyboardist1995Marty SammonUSA1996Dan MouyardUSA1997Noah HarmonUSA1998Adam Yarian*USA1999Adam Yarian*USA2000Adam Yarian*USA2001Harrison WadeUSA2002Will BestUSA2003Adam Swanson*USA2004Adam Swanson*USA2005Harrison WadeUSA2006Adam Swanson*USA2007Wesley ReznicekUSA2008Cassidy GephartUSA2009Wesley ReznicekUSA2010Morgan SieverUSA2011Morgan SieverUSA2012Daniel Souvigny*USAWent on to become Buddy Guy's Pianist/Keyboardist (immediately after Marty Sammon)2013Isaac SmithUSA2014Daniel Souvigny*USA2015Daniel Souvigny*USA2016Nina FreemanUSA2017Nathan BeasleyUSA2018Kelton BoblitsUSA2019Kelton BoblitsUSA2020 -No Contest-N/AAn online virtual showcase occurred this year2021 -No Contest-N/AAn online virtual showcase occurred this year2022John BeggsUSA2023John Patrick HutchinsonUSA2024John BeggsUSA2025John Patrick HutchinsonUSA

Senior 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. +YearNameCountryNotes2018John RemmersUSA2019Bobby van Deusen*USA2020 -No Contest-N/AAn online virtual showcase occurred this year2021 -No Contest-N/AAn online virtual showcase occurred this year2022Bobby van Deusen*USA2023Bobby van Deusen*USA2024Faye BallardUSA2025Tim BartonUSA

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. +YearNameNew RagCountryNotes1997Gale Foehner"Crondolette Rag"USAThis composition is often misspelled as "Carondelet"1998Mimi Blais"The Turkey"USA1999Michael Stalcup"Short Mountain Falldown"USA2000Dan Mouyard"Mojo's Marbles"USA2001Bill Edwards*"The Necromancer"USA2002Bill Edwards*"The Wiener Schnitzel"USA2003David Feurzeig"Stride-Rite Rag"USA2004Ted Lemen"The Last Rag Standing"USAFounder of the contest2005Ted Lemen"The Number 2 Rag"USA2006John Harmon"The Raspberry Rag"USA2007Martin Spitznagel*"Red Elephant Rag"USA2008Bill McNally*"Blue Donkey Rag"USA2009Bill McNally*"Mocha Monkey Rag"USA2010Jacob Adams*"Procrastinaporag"USA2011Martin Spitznagel*"The Smoky Rose"USA2012Bill McNally*"Fancy Flight"USA2013Adam Swanson"Strater Shuffle"USAComposition named for the Strater Hotel in Durango, CO2014Vincent Matthew Johnson"...And So Forth"USA2015David Cavalari"That 45 RPM Rag"USA2016Bill Edwards*"Le Syncope du Papillon"USA2017Martin Spitznagel*"Dreams of Irene"USATie between Martin Spitznagel and Jacob Adams2017Jacob Adams*"Quintessential Rag"USATie between Martin Spitznagel and Jacob Adams2018Jacob Adams*"Split Personality Rag"USA2019David Cavalari"The Nickelodeon Rag"USA2020 -No Contest-N/AN/AAn online virtual showcase occurred this year2021Sam Post"Lighthouse Rag"USAAn online virtual New Rag Contest occurred this year2022Warren Ertle"Yellow Hammer Rag"USATie between Warren Ertle and Sam Post2022Sam Post "Angels' Watch Rag"USATie between Warren Ertle and Sam Post2023Adam Swanson, Paul Orsi, Tom Lakeland"Transatlantic Rag"USA, USA, GBRNamed for the "transatlantic" relationship between the composers2024Tom Lakeland"Woodpecker Rag"GBR2025Jared Szabo"Gateway Rag"USAFirst 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. +YearNamesCountryNotes2016Adam Swanson & Four ArrowsUSA & USA2017Daniel Souvigny & Nathan BeasleyUSA & USA2018Adam Swanson & Daniel SouvignyUSA & USA2019Don Jacobs (Four Arrows) & Richard JacobsUSA & USA

Citations

External links

https://oldtimepianocontest.com/ (Official Contest Website) https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCsTuTcmB0GXexw-ByK2zNuA (Official Contest YouTube Music Channel) https://www.youtube.com/@worldchampionshipold-timep6274 (Official Contest YouTube Channel) https://olemiss.edu/music/ (University of Mississippi Music Department Official Website) https://www.oxfordarts.com/ (Powerhouse Community Arts Center/Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Official Website) https://www.theoldhenry.com/ (The Old Henry Official Website)