Founded in 1937 as the Ysaÿe Competition in honor of the legendary violinist—by then deceased—who suggested the idea of a globe-spanning competition for young virtuosos to Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, the Queen Elisabeth Competition now bears its original patron monarch's name. With an interruption during the Second World War, and some amendments since, the competition now rotates in a three-year cycle between the disciplines of violin, piano, and voice. Since 1991 the composition composition has been confined to choosing the compulsory concerto for the violin and piano competitions.
In 2012, the Queen Elisabeth competition is celebrating its 75th anniversary with an expanded website that includes extensive historical information on the competition's genesis and evolution.
NEC's Queen Elisabeth Competition laureates
2012
Ermir Abeshi '08 M.M., '09 G.D., laureate, violin
Dami Kim '10, '12 M.M., laureate, violin
Nancy Zhou '15 Harvard A.B., '16 NEC M.M., laureate, violin
2003
Minsoo Sohn '99 DP, '01 G.D., '04 A.D., laureate, piano
1999
Ning An '99, '01 G.D., '03 A.D., '04 M.M., 3rd prize, piano (in photo)
Esther Budiardjo '94, '96 M.M., '02 D.M.A., laureate, piano
1997
Jennifer Frautschi '94 CE, '96 A.D., laureate, violin
Irina Muresanu '98 A.D., '09 D.M.A., laureate, violin
1991
Haesun Paik '87, '89 M.M., '92 A.D., 4th prize, piano
1987
Hung-Kuan Chen '88 A.D., 11th prize, piano
1980
Peter Zazofsky, 2nd prize, violin
1971
Miriam Fried, 1st prize, violin
1963
Masuko Ushioda, laureate, violin
1952
Theodore Lettvin, 7th prize, piano
2012-06-04
MILES DAVIS