Meet the young musicians who will be part of the Orchestra Academy of the Belgian National Orchestra and La Monnaie during the 2025–2026 season. These promising students are given a unique opportunity to further develop their skills and gain experience in a professional orchestral setting.
Instrument: flute
Age: 24
Native country: Belgium
Conservatory: Royal Conservatory Antwerp
"Music has meant a great deal to me from a young age, as my whole family has a connection to it. My flute has already taken me on many adventures, both in Belgium and abroad. I'm really looking forward to this next adventure: performing with two of the most prestigious orchestras in my country, discovering fascinating repertoire, and sharing the stage with inspiring colleagues!"
Instrument: oboe
Age: 20
Native country: Luxembourg
Conservatory: Institut Royal Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie (IMEP)
"At the age of 4, during an early music class, I instantly fell in love with the oboe. When I joined the Arlon academy at the age of 10, choosing this instrument felt completely natural — and I’ve never let go of it since!"
Instrument: viola
Age: 29
Native country: Iran
Conservatory: Conservatoire royal de Liège
"The COVID era was a time when we were all confined to our homes, and it made me wonder how to make the best use of that time. For me, the answer was clear: start playing the instrument I had always dreamed of learning."
Instrument: violin
Age: 23
Native country: Japan
Conservatory: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
"What I love most during my playing is the moment when the sound of the violin blends with those of other instruments, in chamber music or in the orchestra. To me, classical music is a kind of magic that deeply connects people beyond languages and borders."
Instrument: harp
Age: 22
Native country: Russia
Conservatory: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
"I was born into a family of musicians and from a very early age I loved the harp. I started playing the harp professionally when I was 5 years old in Moscow. During my studies at the Central Music School and the Moscow Conservatory, I participated in a huge number of competitions, concerts and festivals in Russia and other countries, in such famous halls as the Mariinsky Theater, the Moscow Philharmonic, etc. One of the most memorable experiences is the Verbier Festival 2025, where I am a member of the festival orchestra. Also in 2025 I had an unforgettable experience in Brazil, where I had a solo concert with an orchestra."
Instrument: cello
Age: 25
Native country: France
Conservatory: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
"One of the most memorable moments I had with my cello was during my high school years. I was at to listen to a concert after having a rehearsal. Since I couldn’t take the cello with me into the concert hall, I had to check it in a cloakroom in exchange for a ticket. Unfortunately, I lost the ticket… At the end of the concert, I returned to the cloakroom to pick up my cello and told the employee that I lost my ticket. The person did not recognize me... To confirm I was a cellist, he asked me to play a movement from a Bach cello suite. So, I played the Sarabande from the third Suite, and I got my cello back!"
Instrument: viola
Age: 30
Native country: South-Korea
Conservatory: LUCA Lemmensinstituut
"I was particularly drawn to the viola, which plays a unique role in bridging the high and low tones, and that’s what led me to start playing the instrument. I hope that making music not just on my own but together with others will become a joyful window through which I can experience new things and broaden my life."
Instrument: flute
Age: 22
Native country: Italy
Conservatory: Royal Conservatory Antwerp
"The choice to play the flute was quite particular: watching a concert on television, when I was 8 years old, I fell madly in love with an instrument that I had never seen before, the flute, and from that moment I have never stopped loving it."
Instrument: double bass
Age: 23
Native country: Belgium
Conservatory: KASK & Conservatorium Gent
"My fascination with the double bass began when I was nine years old. Since then, I’ve been driven to explore as many musical genres as possible, always curious about new sounds and approaches. Classical music has been the foundation of my musical journey and continues to shape how I play and listen. Contemporary music especially inspires me—I enjoy experimenting and working with others in the process of making something new."
Instrument: percussion
Age: 23
Native Country: Spain
Conservatory: Royal Conservatory Brussels
"At the age of eight, I began studying percussion in my hometown, inspired by my grandmother’s admiration for music. Since then, I have tried to enjoy it as much as she did. My journey has shaped me as both a soloist and an orchestral musician, allowing me to collaborate with several professional orchestras in my country, until I was given the opportunity to join the Orchestra Academy of the Belgian National Orchestra and La Monnaie. This feels like a privilege and will be a wonderful time that I will always cherish."
Instrument: Cello
Age: 22
Native country: France
Conservatory: Royal Conservatory Brussels
"Coming from a family of musicians at the Paris Opera, I naturally found my voice through the cello, turning this passion into my profession."
Instrument: trumpet
Age: 24
Native country: Spain
Conservatory: KASK & Conservatorium Gent
"One of my favorite moments when playing the trumpet is being in the middle of a brass section in orchestra, there’s nothing like that powerful, fun energy."
Instrument: viola
Age: 27
Native country: South Korea
Conservatory: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
"My instrument was made just as I began my studies in Belgium, and from that moment on, it has been by my side through every memory and experience. It feels like we are growing together!"
Instrument: Bassoon
Conservatory: Royal Conservatory Brussels
Instrument: cello
Age: 23
Native country: Spain
Conservatory: Royal Conservatory of Antwerp
"Playing cello gives the most honest reflection of myself. In every note not only I discover how I play, but how I feel, how I behave and who I want to become."
