The six-day final round will begin next Monday, May 25.
Each finalist will perform a concerto of their choice as well as the compulsory unpublished work, Four Odes to the Tidings of Flowers, written especially for this year’s competition by Chinese-American composer Fang Man.
The finalists have one week to learn the imposed piece.
For his performance on Friday, May 29, Michalski has chosen Dmitri Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1.
In both works, the finalists will be accompanied by the Belgian National Orchestra conducted by Antony Hermus.
Born in 2003 in Tarnobrzeg, southeastern Poland, Michalski is currently pursuing a master's degree at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.
His achievements include second prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Germany in 2024, as well as awards at the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players in Washington and the Zoltán Kodály Competition in Debrecen, Hungary.
Michalski has performed as a soloist with symphony and chamber orchestras in Poland, Germany and Colombia, and has given recitals across Europe, Israel and the United States.
He plays on two contemporary copies of Matteo Gofriller cellos made by Wojciech Topa and Jan Pawlikowski.
The winner of the competition will receive the Queen Mathilde Prize of EUR 25,000.
Founded 75 years ago, the Queen Elisabeth Competition is one of the world's most prestigious music contests. This year marks only the third time the event has been dedicated to the cello
(mk/gs)
Source: The Strad