Marcq-en-Baroeul, one of only 4 towns in France with an international school, has supported the Pianissima International competition since its inception. It's right next to the city of Lille, so it's very easy to get to.

The competition was created in 2014, and Denis Simándy, who is also Artistic Director of the Clef de Soleil Festival, took over as director in 2019.

While it allows beginners and amateurs from the age of 5 to take part, in its higher and pre-professional categories it welcomes candidates of all nationalities and of a very high technical level.

A jury of musical personalities sits on the jury every year.
Since its creation, our jury presidents have been :
- Diane Andersen
- Eliane Reyes
- Gabriel Tacchino
- David Lively
- Sabine Weyer
- Vittorio Forte
- Cyprien Katsaris

Some of the prize-winners have since embarked on very successful professional careers, such as :
- Manon Barbé, 2018 winner
- Maxime Sauze, winner in 2019
- Chiyoon Han, winner 2022
- Li Ruirong, winner 2023

During the deliberations, a concert given by renowned artists is offered free of charge to the public. We were delighted to welcome :
- Tristan Raës
- Galina Ermakova
- Shani Diluka
- Vanessa Benelli-Mosell
- François Dumont
- Sabine Weyer
- Maxime Sauze