Pianist Valère Burnon Qualifies for Queen Elisabeth Competition Final
Belgian pianist Valère Burnon has qualified for the final of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, the organisation announced on Facebook on Saturday following the semi-final.
On Saturday evening, twelve people were selected from the group of 24 semi-finalists, including Valère Burnon. A total of seven men and five women will compete against each other in the final.
Apart from Burnon, the finalists are Wataru Hisasue, Masaya Kamei, Shiori Kuwahara and Yuki Yoshimi from Japan, Rachel Breen from the United States, Arthur Hinnewinkel, Nathalia Milstein and Mirabelle Kajenjeri from France, Nikola Meeuwsen from the Netherlands, Jiaxin Min from China, and Sergej Tanin from Russia.
Music for the Heart
The twelve musicians will be accommodated at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, where they will be able to rehearse an unpublished work without outside assistance: "Music for the Heart", which was composed for this occasion by Belgian composer Kris Defoort.
The final will take place from 26 to 31 May at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels. Each finalist will perform the compulsory piece and a concerto of their choice with the Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Kazushi Ono. The results will be announced after the final performance on Saturday 31 May at midnight.
Founded in 1937, the Queen Elisabeth Competition focuses on a different discipline each year. At last year's edition, dedicated to the violin, the Ukrainian musician Dmytro Udovychenko won the first prize of 25,000 euros.
Valère Burnon performing in the semi-final of the 21st Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition at the Flagey concert hall in Brussels on 13 May 2025. © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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