Queen Mathilde Presents the 22nd Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition Awards

Queen Mathilde wore a floral-print silk chiffon midi dress by Giambattista Valli. Italian cellist Ettore Pagano

On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Queen Mathilde of Belgium attended the award ceremony for the winners of the 22nd edition of the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition, held at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo. The laureates of the Queen Elisabeth Competition received their prizes from Queen Mathilde. Italian cellist Ettore Pagano won First Prize (the Queen Mathilde Prize) at the 2026 Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition.

Queen Mathilde wore a floral-print silk chiffon midi dress by Giambattista Valli. Italian cellist Ettore Pagano

Queen Mathilde wore a floral-print silk chiffon midi dress by Giambattista Valli. Italian cellist Ettore Pagano

The winner, Ettore Pagano, also received Pablo Casals’ cello, a centuries-old and exceptional instrument, which he will have the privilege of playing for the next four years, until the next edition of the competition dedicated to the cello.

Queen Mathilde wore a floral-print silk chiffon midi dress by Giambattista Valli. Italian cellist Ettore Pagano

Queen Mathilde wore a floral-print silk chiffon midi dress by Giambattista Valli. Italian cellist Ettore Pagano

At the 22nd Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition, the other prize winners were: Tae-Yeon Kim, who received the Second Prize awarded by Belgian Science Policy; Leland Ko, who received the Count de Launoit Third Prize; Álvaro Lozano Cames, who received the Fourth Prize awarded by the Government of the French Community; Yo Kitamura, who received the Fifth Prize from the Capital Region; and Maria Zaitseva, who received the Sixth Prize from the City of Brussels.

Queen Mathilde wore a floral-print silk chiffon midi dress by Giambattista Valli. Italian cellist Ettore Pagano

Queen Mathilde wore Giambattista Valli Floral-Print Silk Chiffon Midi Dress in Neutrals
Giambattista Valli Floral-Print Silk Chiffon Midi Dress
6 Comments
  1. Anonymous2/6/26 22:15

    Beautiful dress, lovely, very good look.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous2/6/26 23:28

    Queen Mathilde is wearing one of her older summer dresses (2019) together with the same accessories when she wore it for the first time. Maybe she wore it because the brand of her dress is an Italian and French cooperation and the winner is an Italian cellist.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a gorgeous summer outfit--dress, hat shoes, bag. Fabulous

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous2/6/26 23:45

    This is a beautiful dress on Mathilde. Lovely summery look, and the accessories all match and pick up the pink flowers on the dress. She's even wearing a pink bow in her hair, and I love the hairstyle too. Mathilde is a very busy lady!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3/6/26 01:32

    Perfect for the occasion, great fit, colours , shoes. She looks fabulous

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3/6/26 01:33

    I love this dress - the colours, and the soft, light, floaty style. Mathilde looks amazing in it; it suits her frame really well. The pink shoes and purse are perfect accessories.
    - Anon 9:13

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