The Queen Elisabeth Competition for piano kicks off on 5 May 2025. The finals take place from 26 to 31 May at Bozar, with Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Kazushi Ono. Stay tuned: once the finalists are announced, you’ll find here who plays when—and which piano concerto they’ll perform.
If music is a form of top-level sport, then the Queen Elisabeth Competition is its Olympic arena. Since 1937, the competition has offered a stage to exceptional young talent and served as a launchpad to international careers.
After the 2021 edition, which took place without a live audience, the piano finals return in full force—with a hall full of energy and anticipation. Twelve young soloists will give it their all in Brussels, carried by the moment and the presence of the public.
Over the course of six evenings, Brussels Philharmonic and Kazushi Ono will accompany the finalists at Bozar. For us, it remains a privilege to stand alongside these rising virtuosos—at that rare point where talent, dedication, courage, and music all converge.
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Even if you can't make it to Bozar, you won't miss a single note of the Piano Competition. Every round will be available to watch or listen live—or on demand—online, on the radio, and on television.
Read more about the competition at queenelisabethcompetition.be.
Finalist 1 & 2
Finalist 3 & 4
Finalist 5 & 6
Finalist 7 & 8
Finalist 9 & 10
Finalist 11 & 12
Cello 2022
Hayoung Choi, Brussels Philharmonic & Stéphane Dénève
Witold Lutoslawski, Cello Concero
Cello 2017
Victor Julien-Laferrière, Brussels Philharmonic & Stéphane Dénève
Dmitri Shostakovich, Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107
If making music is akin to competitive sports, then the Queen Elisabeth Competition is the ultimate Olympic arena. This May, the world’s top pianists gather in Belgium, pouring their hearts into four weeks of intense performances.
If making music is akin to competitive sports, then the Queen Elisabeth Competition is the ultimate Olympic arena. This May, the world’s top pianists gather in Belgium, pouring their hearts into four weeks of intense performances.
If making music is akin to competitive sports, then the Queen Elisabeth Competition is the ultimate Olympic arena. This May, the world’s top pianists gather in Belgium, pouring their hearts into four weeks of intense performances.
If making music is akin to competitive sports, then the Queen Elisabeth Competition is the ultimate Olympic arena. This May, the world’s top pianists gather in Belgium, pouring their hearts into four weeks of intense performances.
If making music is akin to competitive sports, then the Queen Elisabeth Competition is the ultimate Olympic arena. This May, the world’s top pianists gather in Belgium, pouring their hearts into four weeks of intense performances.
If making music is akin to competitive sports, then the Queen Elisabeth Competition is the ultimate Olympic arena. This May, the world’s top pianists gather in Belgium, pouring their hearts into four weeks of intense performances.
