Dutch pianist Nikola Meeuwsen wins Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition, Belgium’s Valère Burnon awarded third prize

Dutch pianist Nikola Meeuwsen, 23, has won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition, with Japanese musician Wataru Hisasue and Belgian Valère Burnon ranked respectively second and third.

The laureates were announced by jury president Gilles Ledure at Bozar late in the early hours of Sunday morning following an intense month of performances and recitals.

Queen Mathilde of Belgium, accompanied by her daughter Princess Eleonore, presented the prizes to the winners of the international competition.

“I'm extremely grateful,” said Meeuwsen (pictured above) after the proclamation, “I didn't expect this ranking at all,” reported RTBF.

The young musician, who won €25,000 in prize money, will now play numerous concerts in Belgium and abroad. He already boasts extensive solo, chamber and symphony performance experience. Currently studying under Enrico Pace and Marlies van Gent at the Accademia Internazionale di Imola, Meeuwsen is also tutored by Frank Braley and Avedis Kouyoumdjian at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo.

Meanwhile, the Belgian pianist Valère Burnon (pictured below) won the unanimous public vote and the Musiq3 and the Canvas-Klara Prize, both worth €2.500. A record 17,000 people participated in the vote. Burnon, from Marche-en-Famenne, will perform at the Musiq3 Brussels Festival at Flagey on 27 June.

Following the announcement of his prize, Burnon said: “I'm very happy, obviously. So, there's always, of course, a little bit of disappointment at not being placed first, but at least I won't have the pressure of being first. So that's very good.”

Laureates’ concerts

The post-competition concert schedule kicks off with recitals by the unranked laureates on 4 and 5 June at Flagey.

The 4th, 5th and 6th laureates, accompanied by the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège conducted by Martijn Dendievel, perform at Bozar on 9 June. The concert is repeated in Liege on 11 June and in Bruges on 14 June.  

The closing concert with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd laureates and the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marc Albrecht is at Bozar on 11 June. The first three laureates also perform in Bruges on 7 June, in Ghent on 8 June, in Hasselt on 9 June and in Antwerp on 10 June.

The first two laureates will tour with the Belgian National Orchestra, conducted by Jesko Sirvend, in Leuven on 25 June, in Charleroi on 26 June, in Namur on 28 June and in Saint-Vith on  29 June.

The concerts are also broadcast on Belgian national TV and radio stations.

Winners of the 21st edition of the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition

1st prize: Queen Elizabeth International Grand Prix Queen Mathilde Prize
Nikola Meeuwsen

2nd prize: Belgian Federal Government Prize
Wataru Hisasue

3rd prize: Count de Launoit Prize
Valère Burnon

4th prize: Belgian Community Government Prize
Arthur Hinnewinkel

5th prize: Brussels-Capital Region Prize
Masaya Kamei

6th prize: City of Brussels Prize
Sergey Tanin

Unranked winners (in alphabetical order)

Rachel Breen
Mirabelle Kajenjeri
Shiori Kuwahara
Nathalia Milstein
Jiaxin Min
Yuki Yoshimi

Photos: (main image) Wataru Hisasue, Princess Eleonore, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Nikola Meeuwsen and Valere Burnon ©Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck; ©Queen Elisabeth Competition