The festival takes place in July and offers 18 spots for students from all over the world to enjoy lessons, masterclasses, seminars, and concerts from both their peers and the faculty.
Founded in 2012 by Rhona Gouldson and Archie Chen,[1] DIPF was created in order to answer the call for a "quality holistic program of piano" in Dublin.
[2] Regular faculty include international concert pianists Evelyne Brancart and Edmund Battersby (both Indiana University), Lance Coburn (Royal Irish Academy of Music), and Artistic Director Archie Chen (Piano Academy of Ireland).
Hosted by the Piano Academy of Ireland, students at the festival stay in a guesthouse together in the heart of Rathgar and perform in the National Concert Hall and the Hugh Lane Gallery.
[3] In 2015, French journalist Pierre Fougerat produced Pianos of Dublin, a documentary about the Festival & Summer Academy from the perspectives of the participants and faculty.