The Queen Elisabeth Competition 2025 for piano is dedicated this year to two prominent composers: Ana Sokolović and Kris Defoort. They both make a special musical contribution in the form of mandatory works composed especially for the competition. These new compositions – for the semi-final and the final respectively – provide not only artistic added value to the competition, but also a unique challenge for the participants. In this reflective article we highlight the background and style of both composers, their significance in the contemporary music world, and how their works colour the Queen Elisabeth Competition with contemporary sounds.
Contemporary sounds in a tradition-rich competition
Introducing new music is a tradition that the Queen Elisabeth Competition has cherished for years. Each competition challenges young musicians to perform a brand-new work, giving contemporary composers a prominent role. In 2025, the decision was made to programme a world premiere in both the semi-final and the final. This underscores how the competition bridges young performing talent and living composers. Sokolović and Defoort are thus in the spotlight, not as performers, but as the creative minds behind the notes on the stand. Their presence at the semi-final and final emphasizes the dialogue between composer and performer: they will witness firsthand how their music comes to life in the interpretations of the participants.
Ana Sokolović: playful rhythms and international flair
Ana Sokolović (b. 1968) is a Serbian-Canadian composer who enjoys worldwide recognition for her original and vibrant musical language. Originally from Belgrade, she settled in Montréal and became a leading figure in contemporary classical music in Canada. Her music is praised for playful energy and rich rhythmicity, often nourished by the folkloric traditions of South Slavic heritage. She weaves Slavic rhythms and folk melodies into her compositions in a personal way, combined with modern techniques reminiscent of Stravinsky's polyrhythms and even echoes of pop and world music. The result is a colourful soundworld full of contrasts and surprises, appealing to both connoisseurs and new listeners.
Sokolović has built a versatile oeuvre, from intimate solo and chamber music to large-scale opera productions. She composed, among others, the striking opera "Svadba (Wedding)" – an a cappella work for six female voices – and "The Midnight Court", a chamber opera that put her on the international map. Her work has been awarded multiple times; she won, for example, a JUNO Award for best classical composition two years in a row (2019 and 2020), a prestigious Canadian music prize. These accolades illustrate her importance in the contemporary music world and her ability to reach a broad audience with new music.
A new work for the semi-final: Two Studies for Piano
For the semi-final of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2025, Ana Sokolović composed the mandatory work "Two Studies for Piano". This piano piece – consisting of two contrasting etudes – is written for solo piano and allows the 24 semi-finalists to showcase their abilities through brand-new music. Sokolović's characteristic style is clearly present: the Two Studies presumably contain both playful rhythms and lyrical moments, requiring the pianists to demonstrate diverse facets of their technique and musicality. The fact that the composer draws on Balkan influences promises irresistible rhythmic patterns, something the pianists must have a feel for.
The world premiere of Two Studies for Piano takes place on Monday 12 May 2025 in Studio 4 of Flagey, during the first semi-final round. On that day, the first semi-finalist will perform this work for the first time in front of an audience, in the presence of Sokolović herself. During the week of 12 to 17 May, all 24 semi-finalists will in turn perform the Two Studies during their recital. Because the semi-final work was delivered to the candidates shortly after the preselections, they have had time to prepare thoroughly. Yet it remains a challenge: there are no previous recordings or interpretive examples of this brand-new piece. Each pianist must arrive at their own convincing reading, leaving room for individual creativity. Sokolović will be present during the semi-finals to hear her work performed multiple times and experience the different interpretations of the young musicians. For her it is undoubtedly as exciting as for the pianists: her notes come to life through 24 different personalities.
Kris Defoort: cross-pollination between classical and jazz
The Belgian composer Kris Defoort (°1959) is a musical phenomenon that blurs the boundaries between genres. As a pianist, composer and improviser, he has carved out a unique place at the intersection of classical music and jazz. Defoort, born in Brugge, began his career in the jazz world but gradually developed a distinctive style of his own in which written composition and spontaneous improvisation merge. He cannot be pigeonholed: his music can feel both swinging and free as well as structured and classical in form. This cross-pollination of classical and jazz gives his work a fresh, contemporary voice within the concert hall.
Over the years, Kris Defoort has created a rich body of work, ranging from chamber music to symphonic pieces and operas. For example, he composed the operas "The Woman Who Walked into Doors" (2001) and "House of the Sleeping Beauties" (2009) for De Munt in Brussels, both in collaboration with director Guy Cassiers. One of his most ambitious works is the opera "The Time of Our Singing" (premiere in 2021), based on the novel by Richard Powers, with which Defoort achieved international acclaim – it even earned him an International Opera Award, a recognition of his exceptional craftsmanship. In addition to being a composer, Defoort has remained active as a performer: he regularly performs with his own jazz trio and teaches at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Brussels, where he passes on his knowledge to new generations of musicians.
Mandatory final work: Music for the Heart as the climax of the competition
For the final of the Queen Elisabeth Competition piano 2025, Kris Defoort was given the honour of writing a new work for piano and orchestra. The result is "Music for the Heart", a concert work that serves as the highlight of the competition. This composition for piano and symphony orchestra requires finalists not only to show virtuosity, but also empathy and flexibility. In Music for the Heart, Defoort has undoubtedly incorporated elements that bear his signature: perhaps jazz harmonies flow through the orchestral texture, or he leaves room for lyricism and spontaneous dialogue between soloist and orchestra. The piece promises to be an exciting interplay between rhythm and melody, between written score and the personal touch that each pianist will bring to it.
However, the finalists only receive the sheet music for Music for the Heart after the semi-final. This begins an intense week of preparation: following tradition, the twelve remaining candidates retreat to the Muziekkapel Koningin Elisabeth, completely isolated from the outside world. Within this short timespan of one week, they must study Defoort's newly created score – without help from their teachers or the internet – and make the music their own. It is an enormous challenge that requires both technical mastery and mental resilience. Each finalist must shape their interpretation of "Music for the Heart" and be able to present it with confidence with a full orchestra. For young pianists, accustomed to the traditional repertoire, this final work represents a leap into the unknown and a test of their musical creativity under high pressure.
The world premiere of Music for the Heart takes place on Monday 26 May 2025, the first evening of the final at the Paleis voor Schone Kunsten (Bozar) in Brussels. During this final evening, the very first finalist will create the work together with the Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of conductor Kazushi Ono. Kris Defoort will be present in the hall to hear how his composition sounds for the first time. In the subsequent final evenings, the other eleven finalists also perform Defoort's work, each time with the same orchestra, but undoubtedly each time with their own nuance. It is a rare situation: the composer can experience his piece in twelve different interpretations within one week. For Defoort, that must be a fascinating experience, and equally so for the audience – they become acquainted with a new work and discover new facets of it each evening through the diverse performances. The presence of the composer during the final also adds extra lustre to the occasion; the audience and the jury can directly acknowledge the creator of the music, and the finalists may feel an extra incentive to do justice to the intentions behind the notes.
Video: Kris Defoort on the creation of "Music for the Heart" and the experience of having his work performed by twelve finalists. (Video to be inserted, for example an interview or report during the final week.)
Significance for the competition and the music world
The choice of Ana Sokolović and Kris Defoort as composers in the Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd 2025 underscores the competition's engagement with contemporary music. Both composers bring their own musical universe to the competition and thereby give young pianists and the audience the opportunity to discover something new. For the participants, these mandatory works form a test case in flexibility and artistic insight: they must show that they not only master the classical repertoire, but can also bring an unknown piece of our time to life. This type of challenge elevates the competition to a higher level and prepares musicians for a professional career in which new music has a place.
At the same time, the world premieres within the competition mean that the compositions by Sokolović and Defoort immediately receive a public platform. The fact that their works will appear on cd and streaming after the competition ends ensures that the music has a longer life outside the context of the competition. In this way, the Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd not only enriches the careers of emerging pianists, but also the repertoire of 21st-century music. In 2025, Sokolović and Defoort make a valuable contribution that extends beyond the competition event itself: they inspire both the participants and the listeners, and confirm the ongoing dialogue between tradition and innovation in the classical music scene.