The twelve finalists of the Queen Elisabeth Competition Cello 2026
Andrew Ilhoon Byun – Clara Dietlin – Tae-Yeon Kim – Yo Kitamura – Leland Ko – Álvaro Lozano Cames – Lionel Martin – Krzysztof Michalski – Dilshod Narzillaev – Ettore Pagano – Ivan Sendetsky – Maria Zaitseva
In alphabetical order: • Andrew Ilhoon Byun • Clara Dietlin • Tae-Yeon Kim • Yo Kitamura • Leland Ko • Álvaro Lozano Cames • Lionel Martin • Krzysztof Michalski • Dilshod Narzillaev • Ettore Pagano • Ivan Sendetsky • Maria Zaitseva
From Monday, May 25 through Saturday, May 30, two of the twelve cellists will perform each evening at 8:15 p.m. at Brussels' Palais des Beaux-Arts, accompanied by the Belgian National Orchestra conducted by Antony Hermus. Each finalist will perform a concerto of their choice and the unpublished mandatory work by Fang Man, Four Odes to the Tidings of Flowers, which was written especially for this cello competition final (world premiere on Monday, May 25, 2026). Competitors receive this work on the day they enter the Music Chapel, giving them just one week to learn it independently without outside assistance.
Final jury members
The jury composition may vary from round to round, but jury members serve throughout the entire round for which they are selected. For the final, these are: Gilles Ledure (Chair), Natalie Clein, Roel Dieltiens, Valentin Erben, Ophélie Gaillard, Anne Gastinel, Marie Hallynck, Gregor Horsch, Anssi Karttunen, Daniel Müller-Schott, Sharon Robinson, Jian Wang & Sonia Wieder-Atherton. This year, jury members use tablets to consult the scores of works performed by the competitors, including the mandatory work, and to take notes during the candidates' performances.
👉 Learn more about the jury members
Thanks to VRT and RTBF, the candidates' performances are streamed live on our website. The final can be watched live on Ketnet with Katelijne Boon and Clara De Decker as presenters. On Saturday, the last day of the final can be followed from 8 p.m. on VRT CANVAS, followed by the announcement of the winners. The compilation 'The Best of the Competition' will be available on VRT MAX from Monday evening, June 1, and will be broadcast on VRT 1 on Sunday, June 7.
Klara will broadcast the semi-final live, presented by Nicole Van Opstal, and the final, presented by Katelijne Boon and Clara De Decker. Klara will air a compilation of the best moments on Sunday afternoon, May 31.
👉 Overview of broadcasts (pdf)
Composer Fang Man and her mandatory work
"The title of this work refers to the traditional Chinese concept huà xìn; the 'message' with which flowers announce the unfolding of the seasons. In Chinese aesthetics, flowers are not merely plants, but also spiritual symbols. In four movements – orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom – the concerto journeys through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, illuminating the inner landscapes these seasons evoke. Yet this journey follows no fixed timeline.
Just as memories and emotions unfold non-linearly, the solo cellist themselves determines the order in which the four parts are performed. Each soloist shapes their own narrative and becomes both performer and storyteller, each time redefining the relationship between season, flower, and spirit. This concerto is colored by two composers I admire. From Bach comes the rhythmic vitality, contrapuntal clarity, and physical dimension of string writing. From Messiaen I draw tonal material from the 'limited transposable modes,' with harmonies that evoke mystery and a sense of suspended time. In this concerto, Eastern poetic imagery and Western musical architecture converge."
Read more about the composer: www.fangmanmusic.com
Around the cello of Pablo Casals
This cello was built in 1733 by the renowned Venetian violin maker Matteo Goffriller (1659-1742) and acquired in 1908 by Pablo Casals (1876-1973). The Catalan master played the instrument for more than sixty years and used it for all his legendary recordings. He regarded it as his 'dearest friend' and always preferred its strong personality and distinctive tone, which came so close to the human voice, over the Stradivarius that had been given to him.
With the wish to preserve his living legacy and honor his deep friendship with Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, the Pau Casals Foundation decided to entrust the instrument, known as the Goffriller "Casals", to the First Prize Winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for a period of four years, as part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Pablo Casals' birth, which coincides with that of Queen Elisabeth.
Yvan de Launoit, President of the Competition, emphasizes how the laureate will be able to fully develop their talent with the instrument over four years. "We are very grateful to the Pau Casals Foundation for this symbolic initiative that embodies the history of the Competition. This generous gesture offers performers a tangible link with living musical history and reminds us that the Competition is not only about rankings, but also a pathway to artistic development."
In April, the instrument left New York in the hands of violin maker Julie Reed Yeboah to arrive in time for the opening celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Pablo Casals' birth on April 13 at the Casals Museum in Barcelona. Over two months, it was regularly played there by Òscar Alabau, principal cellist of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Orchestra — the same orchestra in which Pablo Casals once held that position. Òscar Alabau then brought the instrument to Brussels, where it will be on display from Monday, May 25 to Saturday, May 30 during the final of the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition 2026, before being entrusted to the First Prize Winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2026 for a period of four years.
