Whodunit Wednesday: Nikola Meeuwsen

You probably will not know his name, but this past week Nicola Meeuwsen, a Dutchman, won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition for piano. The third place winner was Belgian Valère Burnon. He is only the 2nd Belgian to ever place in the top 3. 

The Queen Elisabeth Competition is a yearly competition for music. Each year highlights a different type of music. This year was for piano. Next year will be for the cello followed by voice and violin in the following years. There have been winners from many different countries since the competition began in 1937. Most recently, Koreans have won quite often (winning voice in 2014, violin in 2015 and cello in 2022). 

The competition began when Queen Elisabeth of Belgium wanted to help encourage Belgian composers and musicians and set up the competition which was first envisaged by Eugène Ysaÿe. Ysaÿe, a Belgian concert violinist, died before being able to set up the competition, so Queen Elisabeth made it possible. It was for many years a competition for composers. It has taken its most recent form (3 instruments and voice in varying years) since 2015. 

Nikola Meeuwsen is a 23 year-old Dutchman studying under renowned international pianists and teachers. He won the prestigious Steinway competition when he was 9 years old. He is a regular guest at Dutch and international festivals and has played with various renowned musicians. This year will see the release of his first solo album and in the coming years he will continue to add to his list of amazing accomplishments.