From Monday 12 May, 24 pianists will compete in the semi-finals of the renowned Queen Elisabeth Competition to secure one of 12 places in the finals. 26-year-old Belgian pianist Valère Burnon will perform alongside the other 23 semi-finalists at Studio 4 in Flagey.
During each session until 17 May, audiences will hear performances from four different semi-finalists. The first two will play a Mozart concerto, accompanied by the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia.
Following the interval, two more pianists will present recitals consisting of works of their choice and a new mandatory piece, 'Two Studies for Piano', composed for the session by Canadian composer Ana Sokolović. Valère Burnon is scheduled to perform the concerto at 20:00 on Tuesday and the recital at 15:00 on Friday.
In a video shared by the organisers last weekend, Burnon expressed that the competition holds a "very special" place in his heart as a Belgian who grew up admiring the event.
He noted that a competition is a difficult challenge both mentally and physically, as it requires proving oneself before the jury after extensive rehearsals and training sessions. He emphasised the importance of keeping level headed through the hard work.
Burnon spoke of the "very good" atmosphere between the candidates, referring to the relationship as "good friends than fierce competitors."
The names of the 12 finalists will be announced after the last performance on Saturday 17 May. The finalists will reside at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo to prepare 'Music for the Heart', a piece composed for the occasion by Belgian composer Kris Defoort.
The final will take place from Monday 26 to Saturday 31 May at Brussels' Palais des Beaux-Arts, with the results announced after the last performance at around midnight on Saturday.
