We are proud to announce that Akari Bastiaens, piano student at the Junior Conservatorium in the class of Joop Celis, has won first prize at the Prinses Christina Concours in The Hague on Sunday, 18 May.
At just twelve years old, Akari delivered a performance so compelling that she swept all three major awards: the jury prize, the press prize, and the audience award. Her musicianship, confidence, and artistic maturity deeply impressed both the professional jury and the public at Amare, the renowned cultural venue in The Hague.
Following this exceptional success, Akari will take the stage in remarkable performances over the coming year: she will perform Ravel’s Piano Concerto with the Euregio Youth Orchestra on tour in six concerts across the Netherlands and Flanders (October 2025–January 2026), and Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Philips Symphony Orchestra in Eindhoven on 8 November 2026, with a second concert to be announced.
We warmly congratulate Akari on this tremendous achievement and look forward to following her pmusical journey.
📰 Read more in Het Belang van Limburg (in Dutch)
📰 Classic.nl article
📰 Nieuwsblad coverage
