Old Time Piano Playing Contest Tunes Up 10th Year in Oxford

Ian Hominick, professor of music at the University of Mississippi, helped bring the contest to Ole Miss in 2016. He said that attendees can expect a wide variety of music for the 2026 edition.

"The styles range widely," he said. "Some pieces even lean classical, like George Gershwin or a cakewalk-inspired piece by Claude Debussy.

"There's also traditional jazz, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Scott Joplin and novelty songs from the vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley eras."

The competitions are set for Nutt Auditorium, and all receptions and after-hours activities are at The Old Henry, 1002 East Jackson Ave. in Oxford. Single-day and all-event passes are available by clicking here.

Each year's contest features a different theme. This year, contestants will be performing pieces that include references to food or drink.

The festival has settled in as an annual event in Oxford, but its history goes back decades and has its roots in ragtime music.

Ted Lemen started the competition in 1975 as a fundraiser for the Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, Illinois. It sprung out of the 1970s revival of the ragtime genre. The 1973 Oscar-winning film "The Sting" exposed a new generation to ragtime music.

Joplin's classic "The Entertainer," written in 1902 and prominently featured throughout the film, became a chart-topping hit following the film's release.

The inaugural contest started with only four contestants and around 20 attendees, but it grew quickly over the years, Lemen said. By the third year, crowds had swelled to the hundreds.

"By the third year, we had a dozen contestants and people were bringing lawn chairs to watch," he said.

Lemen pointed out the interest in ragtime, especially among younger audiences, has endured over the years. That has kept the contest popular.

"We keep finding kids from all over the country that are interested in this type of music," he said. "And that helps us regenerate interest in the contest every year"

Hominick pointed to the contest's generation-spanning appeal as a reason for its continued popularity, with something for attendees of all ages.

"They also see performers their own age, whether that's an 8-year-old child or a senior citizen, up on stage competing," Hominick said.

For the younger performers, the ragtime focus is a chance to have some fun while performing and let their creativity on the keys fly.

"For some of them, it's a respite from more serious music," Hominick said. "Classical music is performed in a very formal environment with disciplined audiences and quiet concert halls.

"It also gives them a chance to show off their improvisational ability."

The event has become an annual Memorial Day weekend tradition in town. Hominick hopes it continues to resonate with crowds and inspire future generations of ragtime players.

"It's also fun, family-friendly music," he said. "People bring kids who are taking piano lessons and get inspired hearing music they normally wouldn't hear.

"I think just knowing that it's a nurturing environment and that people have enjoyed it is rewarding."

For a full schedule for the competition and festival, click here.

Top: Pianist Russell Wilson, winner of the 2013 and 2015 World Championship Old-time Piano Playing Contests, entertains audiences with his skill. The competition and festival returns May 21-24 for a 10th season in Oxford, with performances at Nutt Auditorium on the Ole Miss campus and after-hours activities at The Old Henry near the Oxford Square. Submitted photo