Nikola Meeuwsen was six when he heard Rachmaninoff performed by Vladimir Horowitz. At that moment he knew: I will become a pianist. Seventeen years later, in 2025, he was the magnificent winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, the first Dutchman ever to achieve this. From São Paulo to Shanghai, concert halls now queue up for him; in December 2026 he makes his debut with our orchestra. With Rachmaninoff, his first love.