Cellist Kim Tae-yeon wins runner-up at 2026 Queen Elisabeth Competition

South Korean cellist Kim Tae-yeon, 20, has won second place at the prestigious 2026 Queen Elisabeth Competition, continuing a strong showing for Korean musicians in the renowned contest. She was awarded the runner-up position in the cello category at the announcement ceremony held at the BOZAR concert hall in Brussels on May 31 (Korean time).

The Queen Elisabeth Competition is considered one of the world's three major music contests, rotating annually between violin, voice, cello, and piano categories. This year's competition focused on cello, open to musicians aged 18 to 30. Out of 185 cellists worldwide who applied, 64 advanced to the main competition, including five South Koreans: Kim Tae-yeon, Chae Ji-woong, Kim Ga-eun, Lee Sae-bom, and Maeng Ji-yeon.

Twelve participants reached the finals, performing over five days from May 26 to 30 with the National Orchestra. Kim Tae-yeon performed "Four Songs for the Occasion of the Flower's Announcement" by Fang Man and Witold Lutosławski's Cello Concerto in the final round. The first prize went to Ettore Pagano of Italy, and Leland Ko of the United States/Canada took third place.

As the second-place winner, Kim Tae-yeon receives a prize of 20,000 euros (approximately 35.14 million Korean won). This latest achievement adds to her growing list of international accolades. She debuted in 2020 and previously won the 2024 Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition as the youngest Korean winner, securing nine special awards including the 'Grażyna Bacewicz' prize. She also won first prize at the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition and the Gustav Mahler International Competition, along with a conductor's special prize, and placed second at the Young Tchaikovsky International Competition, earning the Bach prize.