Queen Elisabeth Competition announces 12 finalists for 2026 cello edition

The jury of Belgium’s prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition (QEC) announced the names of the 12 finalists on Saturday following an intense week of semi-final performances at Flagey.

From Monday, these talented young musicians (pictured above) will successively start entering the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo in pairs.

Here they spend a week learning the imposed commissioned work, Four Odes to the Tidings of Flowers, by Fang Man. The Chinese-born American composer is known for her innovative music that blends Eastern and Western traditions.

The finalists will also rehearse the concerto they have chosen to complete their programme. This period of isolation at the chapel is akin to a retreat as they will have no contact with the outside world. Abandoning all digital devices, including smartphones, the sequestration is designed to help them focus on the arduous task ahead in tranquil surroundings.

The final rounds then take place from 25 May to 30 May at Bozar, with two finalists performing each evening the pieces with the Belgian National Orchestra, under the baton of Antony Hermus.

After the final performance on 30 May, the ranking of the laureates will be announced around midnight. The jury is presided by Gilles Ledure and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will be in attendance.

As the internationally-renowned competition is celebrating its 75th anniversary and the 150th anniversaries of founder Queen Elisabeth and the cellist Pablo Casals, the Goffriller cello ‘Casals’ will be loaned for four years to the first laureate of the competition.

The top prize winner will also receive the Queen Mathilde Prize of €25,000. The other prizes of €20,000, €17,000, €12,500, €10,000 and €8,000 are awarded to the musicians placed second to sixth respectively. Each of the six unranked laureates will receive €4,000.

Although the final concerts of the piano competition are sold out, the public can follow the event via live coverage by public TV and radio stations RTBF and VRT.

Following the final, a series of recitals featuring the top six laureates will be staged at Bozar and concert halls around the country.

As one of the most demanding and highly publicised international competitions, the Queen Elisabeth Competition has served as a springboard for young violinists, pianists, singers and cellists since it was founded in 1937.

The finalists are:

• Andrew Ilhoon Byun (Canada, 1998)

• Clara Dietlin (France, 2001)

• Tae-Yeon Kim (Korea, 2006)

• Yo Kitamura (Japan, 2004)

• Leland Ko (US/Can 1998)

• Álvaro Lozano Cames (Spain, 2006)

• Lionel Martin (Germany, 2003)

• Krzysztof Michalski (Poland, 2003)

• Dilshod Narzillaev (Uzbekistan, 1997)

• Ettore Pagano (Italy, 2003)

• Ivan Sendetsky (Russian Federation, 1996)

• Maria Zaitseva (Russian Federation, 2001)

Photos: ©Queen Elisabeth Competition; Orchestra ©Barth Decobecq