After a week of isolation, the 12 finalists of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Contest will return to Bozar on Monday evening to perform a mandatory piece and a concerto of their choice. Remarkably, only one participant hails from Europe.
Among the 12 finalists, there are notably no Belgians, with 19-year-old Pauline van der Rest from Brussels failing to secure a spot in the final round. The following musicians made it through: Hana Chang (US), Dayoon You (South Korea), Ruslan Talas (Kazakhstan), SongHa Choi (South Korea), Kevin Zhu (US), Dmytro Udovychenko (Ukraine), Joshua Brown (US), Karen Su (US), Anna Im (South Korea), Julian Rhee (US), Elli Choi (US) and Minami Yoshida (Japan).
Last week, the group – comprising of six Americans, three South Koreans, a Japanese, a Kazakh and a Ukrainian – spent their time preparing at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo. The challenging 'Variations litaniques', a new and mandatory piece by French composer Thierry Escaich, required intensive rehearsal.
The isolation in Waterloo meant the finalists had no contact with the outside world, including their mobile phones or the internet. However, they were able to spend time together, sharing meals and walks.
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Beginning on Monday, each evening will see two finalists take the stage to perform the mandatory composition, specifically created for the competition, along with a concerto of their choice. Under the baton of Antony Hermus, making his debut as a conductor during the contest's final week, the National Orchestra of Belgium will accompany the violinists.
"My role is to provide a trusting environment and to support the candidates as much as possible, enabling them to take risks without fear and achieve their full potential," Hermus outlined on the contest's website.
The winners will be announced after the final performance, around midnight on Saturday.
