Finals - 2015

2015 brought us four violinists and one clarinetist to Bozar!  There was an extraordinarily supportive, yet competitive atmosphere in the hall.  The intimacy between the audience and musicians was absolutely electric. And I remember a wonderful moment with the four runners up sitting on the steps to the auditorium together watching Vilmos perform his winners' encore.

Vilmos Csikos- Violin (Winner)

Vilmos Csikos is a great violinist, but even so, he goes up a gear when it comes to competitions.  He has a way of owning the stage and demonstrating just why he has a habbit of winning nearly every competition he ever enters. 

Veronique De Raedemaeker - Violin

There can be nodoubt that Veronique enchanted her audience. Her rendition of Fantasia of themes from Gounod's Faust, was sublime. We promissed to support her, alongside the Vilmos, our outright winner. and the journey that Veronique and YBT has taken in the intervening years has been a joyful partnership for both.

Alice Van Leuven

Alice opened her performance with Poème Op. 25 by Chausson.  Since her finals with us, Alice went on to win the 'Super Nova' competition with her Trio Aries.  Today, she can be found touring Europe and the world giving recitals.

Maxime Michaluk - violin

Maxime's graceful and stylisitc playing was extremely well received in the hall but he was up by such competition on the night that, perhaps, on any other occasion he would have shone through. Eitherway, he has gone on to do extraordinarily well with the world renowned Adelphi quartet who can be regularly seen playing at the top concert halls of Europe and oversees. 

Emiel Souvagie - Clarinet

At just 16, Emiel was by far the youngest performaer on the night. An absolute public favourite, although he did not win the jury prize, his talent has demonstrated itself by the fact that he went on to win the Supanova prize with his 'Firgun' quintet and is now (when he is not performing with the quintet)  regularly seen as soloist and principal clarinetist in top European orchestras.