Concertgebouw Young Talent Award for Liam Nassereddine
15-year-old pianist wins young talent award
The 15-year-old pianist Liam Nassereddine has won the Concertgebouw Young Talent Award, a prize presented by The Concertgebouw to the most promising musical talents. “It’s fantastic to see how Liam, who has performed with us multiple times, has developed so rapidly. The joy he brings to his playing is truly inspiring. He is a very deserving winner of our Young Talent Award!” says managing director Simon Reinink.
The award, made possible in part by main sponsor Van Lanschot Kempen, consists of a bronze sculpture, a €5,000 scholarship, and support for the winner’s further professional development by The Concertgebouw. On 16 March 2026, the award will be presented during a gala dinner at The Concertgebouw, where the young pianist will also make his debut as a soloist in the Main Hall.
A surprise for the young pianist
Liam was brought to The Concertgebouw by his parents under a pretext. There, the director of The Concertgebouw welcomed them and surprised him with the news: he had won the Concertgebouw Young Talent Award and would perform in the Main Hall during the award ceremony on 16 March 2026. In 2023, Liam Nassereddine had already won the 15th edition of the Royal Concertgebouw Competition.
Liam Nassereddine: “At first, I couldn’t believe it. When the director of The Concertgebouw surprised me with the news, I was absolutely thrilled. It’s a tremendous honour! I’m also really looking forward to performing in the Main Hall at the award ceremony.”
Liam Nassereddine performing in the Recital Hall at The Concertgebouw © Jessie Kamp
Maarten Edixhoven, Chair of the Management Board of Van Lanschot Kempen: “Encouraging young talent is always and everywhere of great importance. As main sponsor of The Concertgebouw, we are proud that Liam is receiving the Young Talent Award. His rapid development and pure joy in playing are truly impressive. We hope that this recognition will inspire him to reach even greater heights, and that he will continue to motivate others to contribute to a vibrant cultural future.”
Previous winners include pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen (2011), violinist Noa Wildschut (2013), soprano Laetitia Gerards (2014), recorder player Lucie Horsch (2015), pianist Aidan Mikdad (2017), pianist Nikola Meeuwsen (2019), singer Nai Barghouti (2021), the National Women’s Youth Choir (2023), and the Leonkoro Quartet (2024). Liam Nassereddine is the tenth recipient of the award.
Main sponsor Royal Concertgebouw
Van Lanschot Kempen supports The Concertgebouw in various ways in making (classical) music accessible. With the Young Talent Award and concerts, but also with animations about classical music and a glimpse behind the scenes.
Liam Nassereddine (born 2010) is a pianist known for his remarkable musicality and deep passion for classical music.
Liam began playing piano at the age of six. By the time he was twelve, he was admitted to the Young Musicians Academy at the Tilburg Conservatory, where he further developed his skills under the guidance of Hülya Keser. Since 2024, he has been studying at Musica Mundi School in Belgium, an international boarding school for young talent that combines music education with regular secondary education.
Liam Nassereddine has won several prizes at competitions. In 2023, he was the winner of the Royal Concertgebouw Competition. At the national finals of the Princess Christina Competition in 2024, he received first prize, the audience prize, and the press jury prize. In addition, he was awarded the Bunschoten Young Talent Prize and won the Archipel Competition.
He has performed as a soloist with, among others, the North Netherlands Orchestra and Heritage Sinfonietta, and has appeared several times on the NPO television program Podium Klassiek. He has also been featured live on NPO Radio 1 and NPO Klassiek, and has played on various classical stages in the Netherlands and Belgium.
In July 2024, his debut album, Luminescence, was released on the TRPTK label, featuring a personal selection of piano works that inspire him.