With a convincing first prize at the 2025 Cantabile Competition, 17-year-old pianist Bill Dewispelaere confirmed not only his exceptional talent but also a remarkable musical maturity. For him, the victory feels less like an endpoint than as motivation to continue growing. "It's confirmation that hard work and lots of practice pay off," he says. "But what really makes this competition special for me are the laureate concerts. Playing regularly in front of an audience is essential: that's how you build stage experience and learn to deal with nerves."
Doubt is no stranger to Dewispelaere. Quite the opposite, in fact. "When studying new pieces, I often feel stressed and worried I won't have enough time." Yet that uncertainty gradually transforms into confidence. In the weeks before the Cantabile Competition final, he felt the turning point approaching. Through intensive collaboration with his teacher Aaron Wajnberg, everything fell into place. "I felt I would deliver a strong performance. Though competitions are always stressful. But it's precisely that tension that makes live performances so magical."
This mindset translates into his playing. Dewispelaere isn't afraid to take risks, even if that brings minor imperfections. "In the final, I sometimes played extremely softly, without losing my tone. If you listen carefully, you'll hear something rough here and there, but that's unimportant. What matters is that you play the music as you feel it."
Rachmaninov as Musical Driving Force
It's no coincidence that Bill Dewispelaere chose Rachmaninov's First Piano Concerto for the Cantabile Competition laureate concert on Saturday, March 28 at De Singel. From his first encounter with this composer, he felt deeply drawn to his musical world. "The drama, the melancholy, the heaviness – it moved me immediately." Rachmaninov has been a constant in his musical development for years. In 2020, he was a laureate finalist with Rachmaninov at the same Cantabile Competition, and at twelve, he already played the first movement of the Second Piano Concerto, inspired by Sokolov's legendary interpretation.
"I have a Russian soul when it comes to music," he says without hesitation. Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Prokofiev are among his favorite composers. The First Piano Concerto by Rachmaninov holds special meaning for him. "It's full of youthful energy, yet deeply emotional at the same time. It can be raw and lyrical in equal measure. It's a shame this concerto is less known than the Second and Third, because for me, you hear the true Rachmaninov here."
An Interpretation as a Moment in Time
When studying a major concerto, an initial interpretive idea quickly emerges. "I try to hold onto that as much as possible," Dewispelaere explains. "But you always have to make compromises. There are endless details you can keep refining, but you can't lose sight of the bigger picture."
He also realizes that no interpretation is ever final. "If I play this concerto again in ten years, it will certainly be better, but even then there will be things I'm not completely satisfied with. A performance is always a snapshot in time. I'm seventeen now; when I'm twenty-seven, I'll play it differently. Interpretation is an evolution, depending on the hall, the piano, and the audience."
Technique in Service of Music
Although technique plays an important role in his study work, Dewispelaere never views it as an end in itself. "At first, I put a lot of emphasis on technique, but working purely technically isn't, in my opinion, a good approach. Technique is a means to achieve a greater musical whole." Only later does the focus shift to the broad dramatic arcs and architecture of a work, from first note to last.
Notably, he makes no distinction between preparing for an exam or a competition. "I approach both the same way. In both cases, I feel free. Stress is always there, but that's human."
His first teacher, Aaron Wajnberg, plays a crucial role in his development. "I started with him when I was seven. We have a very strong bond; he's one of my best friends. I can talk to him about anything. He shaped me and knows me through and through as a pianist." For the past three years, Dewispelaere has also been working with Nikolaas Kende.
Life Beyond the Keys
For Dewispelaere, combining an intense musical trajectory with school at Onze-Lieve-Vrouwecollege plus in Antwerp proves to be no insurmountable problem. Thanks to his artist status, he can count on flexibility. "I'm allowed ninety half-days of authorized absence. The school is very open-minded." The support goes even further than administrative flexibility: "Headmistresses Cécile Veraert and Hilde Buysrogge came to the Cantabile Competition final without me knowing. That says a lot about the bond we have."
Beyond the piano, music remains a constant. "I pretty much listen to music all the time. That's how I discover new works I might want to play myself later." He also enjoys eating, series and films, and admits he scrolls a bit too much. However, he steers clear of other genres than classical. "I can't listen to any other genre for more than two minutes."
Looking Ahead
For the coming years, he has an ambitious list of works he wants to tackle: Liszt's Sonata, Prokofiev's piano concertos and sonatas, Beethoven's sonatas and concertos – and, he adds with a laugh, "I really should play more Chopin too."
What music means to him can ultimately be summed up simply. "Through music – and piano music in particular – I can express myself. It's how I can best show who I am. You can't really know me if you don't know me as a pianist. Music means everything to me."
