Queen Elisabeth Competition: Cello 2026

This box set from the third cello edition of the Queen Elisabeth Competition brings together the twelve prizewinners who gave the audience exceptional musical moments throughout the competition. It begins with the concertos performed by the first four prizewinners. Following tradition, the programme opens with Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante, performed by first prizewinner Ettore Pagano, followed by Lutosławski’s Cello Concerto, performed by second prizewinner Tae-Yeon Kim. Barber’s Cello Concerto, performed by third prizewinner Leland Ko, and Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto, performed by fourth prizewinner Álvaro Lozano Cames, follow. A complete CD of chamber music expands the programme, which ranges from Josef Suk to Kaija Saariaho and also includes Harold Noben’s compulsory work, alongside other highlights of the competition. The programme then returns to the orchestral repertoire with concertos by Anton Kraft and Leopold Hofmann, before concluding with Fang Man’s “Four Odes to the Tidings of Flowers”, the compulsory work for the final round. Beyond the list of prizewinners, this album reflects the richness of an event shaped by the expansion of the repertoire, the curiosity of its performers and the exceptional diversity of the musical personalities gathered in Brussels. A vibrant testament to cello artistry today.