Meet the candidates of the 2025 Piano Competition
We are proud to announce the names of the talented young pianists selected for the 2025 Piano Competition. The order in which the candidates will appear in the first public round, taking place from Monday 5 to Saturday 10 May at Flagey, will be announced after the drawing of lots, on Friday night 2 May.
Meet the candidatesMore about Piano 2025
The jury members of the 2025 Piano edition
The candidates selected for the 2025 Piano Competition will benefit from the attentive listening of a large audience, but also of a group of internationally renowned pianists and music professionals who form the jury.
Discover the jury members
Baron Huyghebaert passes the torch
Baron Huyghebaert will conclude his term as president of the board of directors of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in April 2025, as board membership is subject to an age limit of 80 years. He is succeeded by Count Yvan de Launoit, who has served as vice-president since 2014.
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Unedited imposed works for the 2025 Piano Competition
For each instrumental session, the Queen Elisabeth Competition calls on two composers to create the unpublished compulsory works. This year, Ana Sokolović has written the semi-final work for piano solo, and Kris Defoort the work for piano and orchestra to be performed in the final.
More about the imposed works
Booking information for the 2025 Piano Competition
The ticket and subscription prices for the upcoming Piano Competition are available on our website. Book your subscription as from Tuesday 4 February 2025 or your tickets as from Tuesday 18 February 2025 and come and admire the thrilling performances of the young pianists live from the cosy seats of Flagey and the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts!
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First round
From Monday 5 to Saturday 10 May (3pm & 8pm) - Studio 4, Flagey
For the first round, the candidates prepare the first movement of a sonata by Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven, a work of choice and four études (one by Chopin, one by Liszt, one by Ligeti and an étude of choice, written by another composer than Chopin, Liszt or Ligeti). The jury chooses which works or parts of works each candidate has to perform.
Tickets for the first round
Semi-final
From Monday 12 to Saturday 17 May (3pm & 8pm) - Studio 4, Flagey
At each session, four different semi-finalists are scheduled. The first two play a Mozart concerto. They are accompanied by the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, conducted by Vahan Mardirossian. After the break, the other two pianists perform their recital.
Last tickets
Final
From Monday 26 to Saturday 31 May (8.15pm) - Brussels Centre for Fine Arts
Each finalist performs the imposed work, written specially for the final of this session (world première on Monday 26 May 2025), and a concerto of their own choice, with the Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Kazushi Ono.
Waiting list
Laureates' recitals
Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 June (8.15pm) - Studio 4, Flagey
The six unranked laureates return to Flagey to conclude their participation in the Competition with a recital. Each night, three laureates will perform solo or together.
Tickets
Laureates' concert
Monday 9 June (8.15pm) - Brussels Centre for Fine Arts
The laureates ranked fourth, fifth and sixth present themselves one more time in the Henry Leboeuf Hall, together with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, directed by Martijn Dendievel.
Tickets
Closing concert
Wednesday 11 June (8.15pm) - Brussels Centre for Fine Arts
The first three laureates festively close this piano session in a performance with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, directed by Christoph Altstaedt.
Sold-out
Every donation counts
The Queen Elisabeth Competition is a non-profit association which depends on the generosity of donors in order to achieve its objectives and to help its laureates to develop their international careers. Your support is even more essential after the last few difficult years for the cultural sector.
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Rules of the 2026 Cello Competition

The rules of the 2026 Cello Competition contain all the information about the requested repertoire, the entry conditions and the competition rounds.

Read moreRead the rules (pdf)
Rules of the 2025 Piano Competition

The rules of the 2025 Piano Competition contain all the information about the requested repertoire, the entry conditions and the competition rounds.

Read moreRead the rules (pdf)
Three instruments and voice take center stage at the Queen Elisabeth Competition

Since 1937, the Queen Elisabeth Competition has been a springboard to an international career for classically trained musicians of the highest level. It all started with the violin and the piano, in 1988 the voice session followed successfully and in 2017 the first cello edition became a major feature of the international competition landscape from its very first edition. The four different competitions are organised in a four-year cycle. In 2025 it will be the piano's turn again.

Piano 2025Cello 2026Voice 2027Violin 2028
Relive the performances of Violin 2024
The Competition's CD's
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