About YBT

YBT (Young Belgian Talent) is a Belgian not for profit organisation dedicated to supporting outstanding young classical musicians. Through our triannual competition, we look for exceptionally talented musicians who, without additional help and support, would be unable to reach their life ambitions and goals.

Apart from financial sponsoring, YBT offers their musicians professional advice and coaching from finance, tax and administration to PR and personal presentation, marketing, building websites, recording CD and videos, in fact whatever the young musician needs most to help them prepare for a solo career.

Working together with the conservatoires, established music academies and the national media, we search for candidates who show demonstrable skills and exceptional determination to make a career in their field. Our professional review board select five finalists to go on to the live Finals.

The YBT finals are supervised by a jury consisting of representatives from the music academic world, the professional music industry, the world of business and leadership, and the winner of the previous Young Belgian Talent Competition. Under the direction of chairman (and world-renowned pianist) prof. Jean-Claude Vanden Eynde, the jury, along with the public, select their overall winner. However, since 2018 all the finalists will receive support from YBT until they reach the age of 25.

History shows us that winning YBT has changed the careers of each of its previous winners. Vilmos Csikos told us that if it was not for YBT he would not have been chosen for the Santander masterclass in Spain and for many of the international competitions and performing opportunities he is now receiving.

Aurore Dassesse too says in a television interview how the support YBT has given her over the years has made all the difference. Her most recent video, financed and filmed by professionals connected to YBT, has now reached over 250K views on Youtube alone!