On March 21, 8-year-old piano student Ellie Jasmine Bauwens from the Zakhar Bron School of Music made her debut at the 2nd International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Kronberg, Germany, where she won the prestigious 1st prize in the 7–8 years age category. Just two days later, she performed at the winners’ concert in the large chamber music hall of the Casals Forum.
Despite her young age, Ellie is already regarded as an experienced musician, having participated in numerous performances and won several international music competitions. Although the International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Kronberg was her first time at this event, it was already the 24th international competition in her musical journey.
Ellie has rightfully earned numerous first and second prizes in other competitions. Most recently, she was awarded first prize with distinction at the 2025 Swiss Youth Music Competition Entrada Classica, held just one week before it.
For the competition program the young piano talent together with her piano teacher Rafael Lipstein prepared three pieces of the golden repertoire:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): French Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817, Allemande and Gavotte
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943): Étude-tableaux No. 8 in G minor, op. 33
Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953): Six pieces for piano, op. 52, No. 3 Etude
Ellie spent six months preparing for the competition. Every day, she practiced piano for three hours — without taking a single day off — and dedicated many hours to lessons with Rafael Lipstein, her piano teacher at the Zakhar Bron School of Music in Zurich. Although she lives in the canton of Bern, she travels to Zurich for her piano lessons — a journey that takes an hour and a half each way.
For Ellie and her parents, the quality of musical education has always been a top priority. Unwilling to compromise, they chose the Zakhar Bron School of Music, even though it is located in another canton and quite far from their home. For them, excellence in music education comes above everything else — and Ellie’s success in this competition has only reaffirmed that they made the right choice.
The International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Kronberg is a prestigious event held in the picturesque town of Kronberg im Taunus, Germany. Dedicated to supporting and showcasing talented young pianists from around the world, the competition is known for its high artistic standards. It offers participants the chance to perform before a distinguished international jury, gain valuable experience, and receive recognition for their musicality.
The competition has been held every two years since 2023. This year, over 200 young pianists from 37 countries applied, with 66 selected for the final round. Among them were several musicians from Switzerland. However, in the 7–8 years age group, Ellie was the only one representing the country – and the youngest Swiss pianist in the entire competition.
The young pianists were evaluated by a distinguished panel of jurors:
Professor Matthias Kirschnereit described Ellie as ‘a young musician who lives through every note of her music.’ Ellie was truly delighted to receive such high praise from a world-class pianist.
Winning first prize at the International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Kronberg was a milestone for Ellie in several ways. First, it gave her the chance to perform in a renowned concert venue. Second, as a prize winner, she was invited to play at the award winners’ concert at TaunusSparkasse Bad Homburg during the Art & Music – Encounters festival in April, sponsored by the Barbara and Dr. Hans-Werner Dildei Art & Culture Foundation.
Most importantly, this victory — and the recognition of her musical talent — opens many doors for future performance opportunities.
Ellie comes from a deeply musical family. Her mother is a professional soprano and choral conductor, leading four ensembles in Switzerland; her grandmother is a professional pianist; and her great-grandmother was an opera singer. Surrounded by music from an early age, Ellie began playing the piano at just three years old. She dreams of becoming a professional musician — a pianist, harpsichordist, conductor, and composer. In addition to piano, she also studies the harpsichord.
“Music is our life,” says her mother. “Ellie makes it truly beautiful. For our family, winning the competition in Kronberg is a great achievement! It inspires us to work even harder and reach new heights!”
Tags: Ellie Bauwens, Piano Competition, Rafael Lipstein
Categories: Music Competition Awards
