Queen Elisabeth Competition
piano edition, 2025
The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel is honoured and delighted to announce the results of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Half of the prizes will go to one of our Artists in Residence.
It was announced earlier that all candidates from the Music Chapel participating in the semi-finals will advance to the finals. A third of the finalists of the Elisabeth Competition are associated with the Music Chapel – a historical milestone!
| Below you can find the awards that went to one of our Artists is residenc: |
- Nikola Meeuwsen, (2002, Netherlands)
1st Prize – INTERNATIONAL QUEEN ELISABETH GRAND PRIZE; Queen Mathilde Prize - Valère Burnon, (1998, Belgium)
3rd Prize – Count de Launoit Prize + RTBF and VRT Audience Prizes - Arthur Hinnewinkel, (2000, France)
4th Prize – PRIZE OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE BELGIAN COMMUNITIES. This year awarded by the Government of the Flemish-speaking Community of Belgium - Mirabelle Kajenjeri, (1998, France)
Laureate, supported by the National Lottery
| An impressive achievement: three podium finishes and four finalists from a single institution.
We congratulate our four finalists on this extraordinary accomplishment and expresses our deep gratitude to our Masters in residence of the piano section, Frank Braley and Avedis Kouyoumdjian, for their unwavering dedication. The Music Chapel also warmly thanks its committed patrons, sponsors, and loyal audience – the beating heart of this international center for musical excellence. These four outstanding young artists are now ready to continue their journey on major international stages… and of course, during the upcoming concert season of the Music Chapel in Waterloo. |
We look back on this edition of the Queen Elisabeth Competition with pride and satisfaction!.
If you would like to rewatch their concerts, please look at the livestreaming options on the website of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, Auvio from RTBF (French) or VRT Max from VRT (Dutch).
Other candidates from the Music Chapel were also selected for the first round, but were not selected for the semi-finals (Yiheng Wang, Daumants Liepiņš and Djordje Radevski).
All of the semi-finalists are : Rachel Breen, Wataru Hisasue, Masaya Kamei, Shiori Kuwahara, Jiaxin Min, Yumeka Nakagawa, Sergey Tanin et Yuki Yoshimi. So 4 out of the 12 finalist come from the Music Chapel! And 3 out 6 prizes were attributed to our pianists!
The press writes about us
For those who would like to read articles, reviews, or commentaries on the performances, please click on the document on our press page.
One of those readings that we are already dreaming of including in the forthcoming boxed set of discs from the Competition
Valère Burnon captivates with the expressiveness of his playing. Between subtle poetry and compelling musicality, he is a sure bet.
Burnon’s great strength in this Mozart concerto proved to be his left hand […]. His lower notes […] resonate wonderfully among the tinkling at the top.
His recital on Friday afternoon was a masterclass in tension building.
An immense tour de force where, as a performer, you have to keep the complex structure manageable.
Meeuwsen throws himself into this score like a lion, and from the first minute it is clear that we are dealing here with a fresh, original take on Mozart’s music. …. His playing has depth and is carried by musical and lived-in enthusiasm. He is not afraid to bend the score to his will, without losing sight of projection and articulation. … As in the first round, Meeuwsen stands out for his poetic performance practice. His daring to surrender to the music in this way makes us forget for a moment that we are in a competition context.
The pianist’s blend of authority and spontaneity, rich, luminous sounds and finely articulated playing.
We can already highlight the quality of Valère’s compulsory piece: he truly managed to create a very calm, almost dreamlike atmosphere — something ecstatic and suspended — which worked remarkably well. You can sense that Valère Burnon has a romantic heart.
Mirabelle gave us a truly wonderful operatic moment.
She imitated the instruments and led the orchestra along with her.