The winner of the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition won’t be named until Saturday. But right now, one thing is certain: It won’t be a woman.

Only two women, Olga Kern and Cristina Ortiz, have ever won in the competition’s more than 60-year history. And it will be at least another four years before that changes.

The Cliburn is not unusual in this respect.

Only two women have won the Leeds and Queen Elisabeth competitions, and only one woman has won the Tchaikovsky as of November 2024, according to data compiled by Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards.

One size might not fit all

But some music professionals said the issue isn’t gender. Pianists with small hands, both men and women, are at a disadvantage. And they offer a potential solution.

“Piano keyboa

See Full Page