# 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 utilizing 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 Winners :
| Year | Name | Country | Notes |
| 1975 | Joybelle Squibb | USA | Mother of actress June Squibb, appeared on the Mike Douglas Show |
| 1976 | Joybelle Squibb | USA | |
| 1977 | Dorothy M. Herrold* | USA | |
| 1978 | Dorothy M. Herrold* | USA | |
| 1979 | Dorothy M. Herrold* | USA | |
| 1980 | Bruce Petsche | USA | |
| 1981 | Mark Haldorson* | USA | |
| 1982 | Mark Haldorson* | USA | |
| 1983 | Mark Haldorson* | USA | |
| 1984 | Janet Kaizer | USA | |
| 1985 | Janet Kaizer | USA | |
| 1986 | Ron Trotta* | USA | Went on to become New York's "Musical TV Weatherman" |
| 1987 | Ron Trotta* | USA | |
| 1988 | Ron Trotta* | USA | |
| 1989 | Julie McClarey* | USA | |
| 1990 | Marty Mincer | USA | |
| 1991 | “Professor” Bill Edwards | USA | |
| 1992 | Paul Gronemeier | USA | |
| 1993 | Marty Mincer | USA | |
| 1994 | Mimi Blais | USA | |
| 1995 | Julie McClarey* | USA | |
| 1996 | Julie McClarey* | USA | |
| 1997 | Brian Holland* | USA | |
| 1998 | Brian Holland* | USA | |
| 1999 | Brian Holland* | USA | |
| 2000 | Mimi Blais | USA | |
| 2001 | Dan Mouyard | USA | |
| 2002 | Adam Downey | USA | |
| 2003 | Dan Mouyard | USA | |
| 2004 | Adam Yarian* | USA | |
| 2005 | Adam Yarian* | USA | |
| 2006 | Adam Yarian* | USA | |
| 2007 | Ethan Uslan* | USA | |
| 2008 | Adam Swanson* | USA | Only Four-Time Winner of the Contest |
| 2009 | Adam Swanson* | USA | |
| 2010 | Adam Swanson* | USA | |
| 2011 | Martin Spitznagel | USA | |
| 2012 | Ethan Uslan* | USA | |
| 2013 | Russell Wilson | USA | Went on to play with US Marine Band |
| 2014 | Ethan Uslan* | USA | |
| 2015 | Adam Swanson* | USA | |
| 2016 | William McNally | USA | |
| 2017 | William McNally | USA | |
| 2018 | Jean Baptiste-Franc | FRA | First international winner of the contest (from France) |
| 2019 | Paul Orsi* | USA | Worked as a ragtime pianist at Disneyland's "Coke Corner" |
| 2020 | -No Contest- | N/A | An online virtual showcase occurred this year |
| 2021 | -No Contest- | N/A | An online virtual showcase occurred this year |
| 2022 | Eve Elliot | USA | First female winner in more than 20 years |
| 2023 | Paul Orsi* | USA | |
| 2024 | Paul Orsi* | USA | |

### 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 Winners :
| Year | Name | County | Notes |
| 1985 | Neil Moe* | USA | |
| 1986 | Neil Moe* | USA | |
| 1987 | Neil Moe* | USA | |
| 1988 | Dax Baumgartner* | USA | Went on to become the Keyboardist for NSYNC |
| 1989 | Dax Baumgartner* | USA | |
| 1990 | Dax Baumgartner* | USA | |
| 1991 | Adam Downey* | USA | |
| 1992 | Adam Downey* | USA | |
| 1993 | Adam Downey* | USA | |
| 1994 | Marty Sammon | USA | Went on to become Buddy Guy's Pianist/Keyboardist |
| 1995 | Marty Sammon | USA | |
| 1996 | Dan Mouyard | USA | |
| 1997 | Noah Harmon | USA | |
| 1998 | Adam Yarian* | USA | |
| 1999 | Adam Yarian* | USA | |
| 2000 | Adam Yarian* | USA | |
| 2001 | Harrison Wade | USA | |
| 2002 | Will Best | USA | |
| 2003 | Adam Swanson* | USA | |
| 2004 | Adam Swanson* | USA | |
| 2005 | Harrison Wade | USA | |
| 2006 | Adam Swanson* | USA | |
| 2007 | Wesley Reznicek | USA | |
| 2008 | Cassidy Gephart | USA | |
| 2009 | Wesley Reznicek | USA | |
| 2010 | Morgan Siever | USA | |
| 2011 | Morgan Siever | USA | |
| 2012 | Daniel Souvigny* | USA | Went on to become Buddy Guy's Pianist/Keyboardist (immediately after Marty Sammon) |
| 2013 | Isaac Smith | USA | |
| 2014 | Daniel Souvigny* | USA | |
| 2015 | Daniel Souvigny* | USA | |
| 2016 | Nina Freeman | USA | |
| 2017 | Nathan Beasley | USA | |
| 2018 | Kelton Boblits | USA | |
| 2019 | Kelton Boblits | USA | |
| 2020 | -No Contest- | N/A | An online virtual showcase occurred this year |
| 2021 | -No Contest- | N/A | An online virtual showcase occurred this year |
| 2022 | John Beggs | USA | |
| 2023 | John Patrick Hutchinson | USA | |
| 2024 | John Beggs | USA | |

### 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.
| Year | Name | Country | Notes |
| 2018 | John Remmers | USA | |
| 2019 | Bobby van Deusen* | USA | |
| 2020 | -No Contest- | N/A | An online virtual showcase occurred this year |
| 2021 | -No Contest- | N/A | An online virtual showcase occurred this year |
| 2022 | Bobby van Deusen* | USA | |
| 2023 | Bobby van Deusen* | USA | |
| 2024 | Faye Ballard | USA | |

### 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.
| Year | Name | New Rag | Country | Notes |
| 1997 | Gale Foehner | "Crondolette Rag" | USA | This composition is often misspelled as "Carondelet" |
| 1998 | Mimi Blais | "The Turkey" | USA | |
| 1999 | Michael Stalcup | "Short Mountain Falldown" | USA | |
| 2000 | Dan Mouyard | "Mojo's Marbles" | USA | |
| 2001 | Bill Edwards* | "The Necromancer" | USA | |
| 2002 | Bill Edwards* | "The Wiener Schnitzel" | USA | |
| 2003 | David Feurzeig | "Stride-Rite Rag" | USA | |
| 2004 | Ted Lemen | "The Last Rag Standing" | USA | Founder of the contest |
| 2005 | Ted Lemen | "The Number 2 Rag" | USA | |
| 2006 | John Harmon | "The Raspberry Rag" | USA | |
| 2007 | Martin Spitznagel* | "Red Elephant Rag" | USA | |
| 2008 | Bill McNally* | "Blue Donkey Rag" | USA | |
| 2009 | Bill McNally* | "Mocha Monkey Rag" | USA | |
| 2010 | Jacob Adams* | "Procrastinaporag" | USA | |
| 2011 | Martin Spitznagel* | "The Smoky Rose" | USA | |
| 2012 | Bill McNally* | "Fancy Flight" | USA | |
| 2013 | Adam Swanson | "Strater Shuffle" | USA | Composition named for the Strater Hotel in Durango, CO |
| 2014 | Vincent Matthew Johnson | "...And So Forth" | USA | |
| 2015 | David Cavalari | "That 45 RPM Rag" | USA | |
| 2016 | Bill Edwards* | "Le Syncope du Papillon" | USA | |
| 2017 | Martin Spitznagel* | "Dreams of Irene" | USA | Tie between Martin Spitznagel and Jacob Adams |
| 2017 | Jacob Adams* | "Quintessential Rag" | USA | Tie between Martin Spitznagel and Jacob Adams |
| 2018 | Jacob Adams* | "Split Personality Rag" | USA | |
| 2019 | David Cavalari | "The Nickelodeon Rag" | USA | |
| 2020 | -No Contest- | N/A | N/A | An online virtual showcase occurred this year |
| 2021 | Sam Post | "Lighthouse Rag" | USA | An online virtual New Rag Contest occurred this year |
| 2022 | Warren Ertle | "Yellow Hammer Rag" | USA | Tie between Warren Ertle and Sam Post |
| 2022 | Sam Post | "Angels' Watch Rag" | USA | Tie between Warren Ertle and Sam Post |
| 2023 | Adam Swanson, Paul Orsi, Tom Lakeland | "Transatlantic Rag" | USA, USA, GBR | Named for the "transatlantic" relationship between the composers |
| 2024 | Tom Lakeland | "Woodpecker Rag" | GBR | |

### 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.
| Year | Names | Country |
| 2016 | Adam Swanson & Four Arrows | USA & USA |
| 2017 | Daniel Souvigny & Nathan Beasley | USA & USA |
| 2018 | Adam Swanson & Daniel Souvigny | USA & USA |
| 2019 | Don Jacobs (Four Arrows) & Richard Jacobs | USA & USA |

## Citations

* ↑ Robbins, Nancy R. Ping; Marco, Guy (2014-06-17). Scott Joplin: A Guide to Research. Routledge. p. 390. ISBN 978-1-135-83153-0.
* ↑ Lynn, Greg (2009-04-14). "Ragtime on the Upright". Peoria Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
* ↑ "World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest Celebrates 50 Years | Ole Miss". olemiss.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
* ↑ "World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival 2024 Official Contest Rules" (PDF). 2024-11-18.
* ↑ Martin, Maya (2022-05-30). "Old Time Piano Playing Contest crowns first female winner in over 20 years". The Oxford Eagle. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
* 1 2 3 Herald, Elena Ferrarin Daily. "Teen wins acclaim playing century-old music". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
* ↑ "Madison Teen wins world championship". 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2024-11-23.