The German-Korean cellist Hayoung Choic (24) won the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels on Saturday. She made an impression with an idiosyncratic choice for a contemporary concerto by the Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski, written in 1970 for the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. It is a work that has never been performed before in the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Hayoung Choi won the top prize of 25,000 euros. The second prize went to the Chinese Yibai Chen, the third to Marcel Johannes Kits from Estonia
The Belgian Queen Elisabeth Competition (or Elisabeth Competition) is one of the most prestigious classical music competitions in the world. Since 2017, the cello category has been added to the violin, piano and voice categories that alternate each year. The laureates had to go through a very difficult process that lasted a month. They had to perform compulsory works, but also their own programs from which the jury chooses at the last minute. Twelve of the 66 participants made it to the final, six of which received a prize.
Also read this interview with the Dutch participant Eline Hensel (23): ‘If you start with the intention to win, you make the pressure inhumane’†
Winner Hayoung Choi studied in Great Britain and Germany and has won international competitions before. In the semi-final she performed a special piece by the Polish composer Penderecki, in which she played her cello in all kinds of unusual ways, including by drumming on it. In her spare time, the South Korean cellist is also a jazz drummer. Hayoung Choi succeeds the Frenchman Victor Julien-Laferrière, who won the first cello competition in 2017.
There was no Dutchman among the finalists. The audience award went to the only Belgian cellist, Stéphanie Huang.