Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation | Case Study
74% Increase in Ticket Revenue and 550,000 Online Views Across Three Competition Cycles
The Organization
The Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation, based in Salt Lake City, presents one of the most respected piano competitions in the United States — including both the International Artists Piano Competition and the International Junior & Young Artists Piano Competitions. The Bachauer had strong artistic credibility and a loyal regional following, but its digital reach and ticket revenue had plateaued relative to the caliber of its programming.
The Challenge
The Bachauer needed to reach beyond its regional base. Webcast viewership in previous competition cycles had stagnated. Ticket sales were constrained by the same marketing approaches the organization had relied on for years. And the competition had no established relationship with international music press — a critical gap for an organization competing for attention in a global landscape of piano competitions.
The Strategy
Gold Sound Media developed a multi-channel marketing strategy encompassing social media management, paid advertising, video content creation, influencer marketing, immersive community experiences, and media relations — deployed across three competition cycles beginning in 2021.
A media partnership was brokered with International Piano magazine — the premier piano publication in the world — extending the competition's visibility to a global readership of pianists, presenters, and industry professionals. Paid campaigns were hyper-targeted to reach piano and classical music audiences worldwide.
As part of its marketing strategy for the 2024 competition, Gold Sound Media conceived and developed the concept of an immersive community experience featuring artist-designed public pianos installed on Abravanel Hall Plaza — extending the competition's presence into the daily life of downtown Salt Lake City. The Foundation's team named the initiative "Key Changes" and executed the installation, generating local media coverage in KSL.com and KSL TV and building public awareness of the competition weeks before the first round began.
The Impact
2021 — International Junior & Young Artists Piano Competitions
Webcast views reached 148,000 — tripling previous competition cycles. Social media impressions surpassed 1.4 million.
2024 — International Artists Piano Competition (compared to 2018, the previous Artists cycle)
Online views reached 550,000 — a 6x increase over the previous cycle. Ticket revenue increased 74%. Competition applications rose 54%. In-person attendance reached 24,000 — a 14% increase — with youth attendance growing 19%.
2026 — International Junior & Young Artists Piano Competitions
Currently in progress — Gold Sound Media's third consecutive engagement with the Foundation.
The Takeaway
A competition's reputation is built on stage. Its audience is built online. The Bachauer's webcast viewership had plateaued for years — until a strategic marketing approach delivered a 6x increase in online views and a 74% increase in ticket revenue. The programming didn't change. The visibility did.
What the Client Thinks
"Jonathan Eifert and Gold Sound Media have been instrumental in guiding our efforts to stay connected to the international music world through this time of pandemic. Even with the delays and complications of not being able to hold live piano concerts and competitions, Jonathan found creative ways to promote our events, reach new audiences, shape messaging to appeal to diverse groups, and maximize the effectiveness of every advertising dollar spent. Thanks to his extensive efforts and in-depth knowledge of the classical music world, our online views reached impressive numbers, often tripling those from previous years. I heartily recommend him to all those hoping to create the most impact for their events!"
— Kary Billings, Executive Director, Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation