Queen Elisabeth piano competition underway with 60 young musicians competing for prestigious title

Belgium’s elite classical music contest the Queen Elisabeth competition has kicked off in Brussels with 60 virtuoso musicians performing under the spotlight for the 21st piano edition.

The young pianists were selected from 289 applicants aged between 18 and 31 in a rigorous video pre-selection round in January.

Belgium’s leading classical music event is a widely-publicised affair attracting rising international stars. Boasting an illustrious history, it is renowned as one of the most prestigious and challenging international music competitions in the world.

Since launching in Belgium in 1937, the QEC has served as an important springboard for launching the careers of exceptional young classical musicians.

Each edition focuses on a different instrument: violin, piano, cello and voice. The piano competition makes a welcome return in 2025 as its last edition, postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the pandemic, went ahead without live audiences.

This year’s batch of hopeful musicians (pictured above) are currently performing in the first round of the competition, which is underway at Flagey’s Studio 4. Like all stages of the marathon contest that continues until 11 June, it is open to the public.

Gruelling schedule

During this early round, candidates perform works or fragments of works chosen by the jury. They consist of the first movement of a sonata by Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven, a work of their choice and four study pieces: one by Chopin, one by Liszt, one by Ligeti and a piece of their choice by a different composer.

The jury's choice is communicated to the candidate one hour before their performance, which lasts about 25 minutes and takes place in two sessions at 15.00 and 20.00.

After the first round is completed on 10 May, the names of the 24 semi-finalists will be announced on the Queen Elisabeth competition website at midnight. They proceed to the next round of the gruelling contest, which is also staged at Flagey, from 12 to 17 May.

Final round

After an intense rehearsal period sequestered in the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, the 12 best musicians perform in the finals at Bozar from 26 to 31 May. After the expert jury of teachers, soloists and music professionals has deliberated, the six laureates are announced with grand fanfare at the end of the evening on 31 May.

One of the unique features of the Queen Elisabeth competition is that participants perform a piece composed specifically for the final round, ensuring that they interpret a piece which has never before been performed in public.

A series of recitals featuring these six winners is then staged at Bozar and concert halls around the country.

Another element adding to the stress of the semi-final and final rounds, the young musicians have to perform with three of Belgium’s leading orchestras, including the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (pictured above).

Two Belgian candidates

Among the international line-up are two Belgian musicians, both aged 26. Valère Burnon hails from Marche-en-Famenne in Luxembourg province. He studied in Liège and Cologne before becoming a student in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. The second local candidate is Roeland Vermeulen, who is originally from Leuven. He comes from a musical family and his father is a piano teacher.

Follow the competition

Belgium’s public TV and radio stations VRT and RTBF provide live video streaming of all performances during the competition.

Tickets can be purchased for each round and the post-final recital series here. Warning: last tickets are on sale for the final rounds at Bozar.

Queen Elisabeth competition
Until 11 June

Photos: (main image) ©Belga/Eric Lalmand; QEC candidates ©Queen Elisabeth Competition; Antwerp Symphony Orchestra ©Simon van Boxtel