The 2026 edition of the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition will be a special edition entirely devoted to the cello and marked by a triple anniversary: the 150th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876–1965), the 150th anniversary of the birth of cellist Pablo Casals (1876–1973), and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Competition.

The Queen Elisabeth Competition will take place in Brussels between May and June, and will be preceded and accompanied by a rich programme of concerts, festivals, exhibitions and participatory events spread throughout Belgium.

The winner of the First Prize will be granted the extraordinary 1733 Goffriller “Casals” cello on loan for four years. This historic instrument accompanied the great Catalan master for nearly sixty years of his career.

For a long time, the 1733 Goffriller was mistakenly attributed to the Cremonese luthier Carlo Bergonzi, due to a non-original label placed inside the instrument. Few people know that Matteo Goffriller (1659–1742), after withdrawing from the Venetian guild, continued to make instruments and sell them without labels for tax reasons. This practice led, for many decades thereafter, to incorrect attributions, reflecting the commercial ideas and preferences of buyers of the time.

Casals purchased the instrument in Paris in 1913 for 18,000 francs and played it for more than sixty years, preferring it to the Stradivari instruments that were also offered to him. He was enchanted by the deeply personal and resonant voice of his Goffriller, which he affectionately called “his dearest friend.” After 1973, the instrument was preserved by Marta Casals Istomin, who at the age of 20 married the eighty-year-old master, her teacher since 1957. Today, it is held by the Pau Casals Foundation, which will place it on loan with the winner of the Competition.

Queen Elisabeth and Maestro Casals maintained a lifelong relationship of friendship and mutual respect that extended far beyond the musical sphere, united by a shared social vision of art and a strong commitment to supporting young musicians. This unique and special bond provided the opportunity to honour both figures on the 150th anniversary of their births and, as stated by Marie Van der Elst, Interim Secretary General of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, to allow a living heritage of lutherie to circulate among a new generation of outstanding musicians.