Music knows no borders: the Queen Elisabeth Competition deserves more exposure in China

Music transcends borders. That is why our embassy in Beijing wants to make the Queen Elisabeth Competition and the Music Chapel better known in China. A concert featuring Trio Zadig, attended by Princess Esmeralda, granddaughter of Queen Elisabeth, certainly charmed the Chinese audience.

The Olympic Games of classical music

Music has an unparalleled ability to transcend borders, even in these geopolitically turbulent times. Which is why, despite being of European origin, classical music resonates so strongly in Asian countries, including China. Xi Jinping's country boasts more than 80 professional orchestras and is rapidly building prestigious concert halls, such as the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing and the Shanghai Symphony Hall. Not to mention the 30 million children or so learning to play the piano there.

Yet our world-renowned Queen Elisabeth Competition does not seem to be very well known in China. Our embassy in Beijing found that it is indeed known amongst classical musicians and music enthusiasts, but less so with the general public. This is reportedly due to the extremely demanding nature of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, which has the reputation of being the 'Olympic Games of classical music'.

Even though 13 of this year's 70 selected candidates were from China, only one female candidate advanced to the finals. It therefore gets less publicity in China than, for instance, the more accessible International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia, where the Chinese tend to easily reach the finals.

The Cold War

Belgian Ambassador Bruno Angelet in Beijing and his team wish to change that. They want to use classical music more as a unifying force. In China, we can reach tens of millions of people with it at the least!

By the way, did you know that the Queen Elisabeth Competition played a similar role during the Cold War? Many candidates from the Soviet Union participated during that time. Queen Elisabeth wanted to promote talented young musicians and bring them together across borders. This is why the Music Competition continues to send the laureates on a 4-month world tour after the event.

Chinese restaurants

The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel is also insufficiently known in China. This 'Chapel' in Waterloo is closely associated with the Queen Elisabeth Competition and offers training to talented young musicians and composers from all over the world. The current CEO has grand plans to expand the Music Chapel.

Increased recognition in the 'Middle Kingdom' would be quite useful. One of the barriers faced by Chinese musicians is the lack of scholarships to study in the Music Chapel. Thanks to the efforts of our embassy, a promising Chinese pianist has found patronage. Prior to this, he paid for his studies at the Music Chapel by working in Chinese restaurants and offering massage sessions.

Stradivarius from 1707

On 22 May 2025 - just as the Queen Elisabeth Competition was underway in Belgium - our embassy hosted a chamber concert in the embassy building. Trio Zadig - consisting of three artists affiliated with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel - really shone. Of particular note is that the trio's violinist played an old 1707 Stradivarius that had been gifted to the Music Chapel. The cellist coaxed beautiful notes from a 1674 violoncello, while the pianist elicited masterful sounds from a Steinway grand piano on temporary loan to our embassy.

The concert was very well received by a more than 100-strong, mostly Chinese audience that included heads of symphony orchestras, music academies and music conservatories, art critics, journalists, classical musicians and more. One notable attendee was Princess Esmeralda - granddaughter of Queen Elisabeth - who is eager to promote the spirit and memory of her grandmother.

Prior to the concert, Ambassador Angelet gave an illustrated presentation about the Music Competition and the Music Chapel. And attendees were given ample time before and after the performance to exchange views in a convivial atmosphere.

Livestreaming

Our colleagues in Beijing have many other ideas in store to promote the Queen Elisabeth Competition as well as the Music Chapel. One of which is to find social media platforms for livestreaming the competition.

The 55^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Belgium and China in 2026 will also provide an excellent backdrop. The Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied this year's international Music Competition candidates and has already scheduled a tour of China. The laureates could possibly accompany the orchestra. The motto remains: letting music touch hearts, transcending all borders.