Founded in 1996 by Hélène Fazius, still its Director today, the Liège piano competition kept its promises.

In 12 sessions, it has highlighted the whole of Belgian music teaching, it has radiated throughout all parts of our country and has opened its doors to schools from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The quality of its organisation, the prestige of its jurys, the talent of its candidates demonstrate its success. A sign that can’t be mistaken : for 26 years, all the Belgians who won fame in the Queen Elisabeth Competition had previously been prize-winners in the Liège piano competition.

Finally, for its 20th anniversary in 2016, the final of the Competition took place in the prestigious Philharmonic Hall of the OPRL in the presence of their Royal Highnesses Prince Laurent and his daughter Princess Louise.

The competition

Thousands of youngsters learn to play the piano in our academies and conservatories.  Hundreds of teachers give them the best they can offer. It is an enormous reservoir of talents to promote!

The purpose of the Liège piano competition, which takes place every two years, is to discover them and to encourage them to further develop themselves. It is also meant to recognize the teachers and the schools who educate them. This is why the competition is exclusively accessible to students registered in an academy or a music high school, or in a first master in piano in a conservatory.

The high level of the Jury is proof of the laureates' quality.

For a long time now, the Concours has been directed by Georges OCTORS, who has helped many young pianists launch a professional career or participate in other important competitions.  Among previous laureates, we can name Narek GHAZARYAN, Florian NOACK, Stéphanie PROOT, Philippe RASKIN, Bart STEYAERT, Gabriel TECLU, Librecht VANBECKEVOORT and Yannick VAN DE VELDE.

The President of the Jury is presently Jean-Marc ONKELINX and among its members, we salute Victor CHESTOPAL, Jean-Philippe COLLARD-NEVEN, Dominique CORNIL, André DE GROOTE, Mikhaïl FAERMAN, Robert GROSLOT, Jan MICHIELS, Evgeny MOGUILEVSKI, Jean MULLER, Stéphanie PROOT, Philippe RASKIN, Eliane REYES, Piet SWERTS, Gabriel TECLU, François THIRY, Liebrecht VANBECKEVOORT, Boyan VODENITCHAROV et Alan WEISS.

Another asset and attraction to this competition is the City of Liège which is known as the city of music.

Our city is welcoming, and has a prestigious musical past.  Liège is the headquarters of important institutions such as the OPRL (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège) and the ORW (Royal Opera of Wallonia).

Plenty of reasons to join us and to participate in our activities!