Pianist Yulianna Beziazychna (12 jaar) uit Leidschendam winnaar Koninklijk Concertgebouw Concours 2026

Yulianna Beziazychna (aged 12) is the winner of the Royal Concertgebouw Competition 2026. The pianist emerged victorious from the digital preliminary round, which attracted nearly 200 entries, and two live rounds at the Concertgebouw — the semi-final and the final — to claim the prestigious title. Following her performance in the final last Sunday, the jury, which included conductor Vincent de Kort, master pianist Thomas Beijer and violinist Julia Philippens, awarded her first prize. The jury was deeply impressed. Chair Vincent de Kort: 'Your technique and tonal command give you an edge over many pianists, including famous ones! Your performance of Debussy's Claire de lune was truly enchanting. The moment you truly seize that freedom, you will soar.'

The Royal Concertgebouw Competition

Now in its eighteenth year, the Royal Concertgebouw Competition has been organised annually by the Concertgebouw since 2009 for young talents aged 9 to 14. Previous winners include flautist Lucie Horsch (2009) and pianist Nikola Meeuwsen (2014), who recently won the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. All finalists of the 2026 edition will also perform together during a lunchtime concert in the Kleine Zaal and at the Grachtenfestival. In addition, the winner receives a cash prize of one thousand euros to support their musical development.

Yulianna Beziazychna: 'I didn't expect this! I don't know how, but we're definitely going to celebrate!'

Yulianna Beziazychna (12, piano) Yulianna lives in Leidschendam and studies at the Davidsbündler Music Academy. The choice of piano was a natural one: her entire family plays the instrument. She began taking lessons from her mother in Ukraine at the age of five. She has now been living in the Netherlands for four years. She names György Ligeti as her favourite composer. Yulianna studies with Tetiana Abaieva in The Hague. In recent years, Yulianna has won several prizes, including first prize, the audience award and the laureate prize at the Princess Christina Competition.

In the final of the Royal Concertgebouw Competition, she performed Debussy's Claire de lune and Prokofiev's Suggestion diabolique.

Digital preliminary round with nearly 200 participants

The 2026 edition once again attracted a large number of new participants, with nearly 200 digital entries. Participation is deliberately kept accessible: every musical style is welcome, and participants aged 9 to 14 can submit their entry via a YouTube video. From the preliminary round, participants were selected for the semi-final at the Concertgebouw, followed by the finalists. A special workshop day focused on the joy of making music was organised for all participants. Some 150 participants attended this varied day of workshops led by, among others, Oene van Geel, Nino Gvetadze, Pearl Jozefzoon and Jong NBE. The day concluded with a performance by string collective FUSE.

Finalists and jury together with presenter Floris Kortie on stage in the Kleine Zaal.

Final at the Concertgebouw

The final took place on Sunday 21 June in the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw. The event was presented by Floris Kortie. The jury comprised acclaimed musicians: conductor Vincent de Kort, Marco de Souza, director of Leerorkest & Muziekcentrum Zuidoost, singer Izaline Calister, master pianist Thomas Beijer, violinist Julia Philippens of Fuse, and saxophonist Mete Erker.

Winners of the Royal Concertgebouw Competition

2009: Lucie Horsch (recorder)
2010: Prawira Pijlo (guitar)
2011: Lisa Roth (voice)
2012: Carter Muller (piano)
2013: Aidan Mikdad (piano)
2014: Nikola Meeuwsen (piano)
2015: Reinier Wink (cello)
2016: Anna Kuvshinov (piano)
2017: Radu Ratering (piano)
2018: Luna van Leeuwen (violin)
2019: Christiaan Blom (recorder)
2020: Yala Heywood (double bass and voice)
2021: Adam Akopian (piano)
2022: Vincent Opheikens (guitar)
2023: Liam Nassereddine (piano)
2024: Jisse Kuipers (trombone)
2025: Botan Takada (cello)

The Royal Concertgebouw Competition has been made possible for 18 years by the VandenBroek Foundation and Het Concertgebouw Fonds.