In 2025, Nikola Meeuwsen (2002) made history by becoming the first Dutch pianist to win first prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. Critics praise Nikola for his rich palette of colours, compelling artistic vision, and personal style, which balances power with poetry. He draws deep inspiration from the individualistic and expressive style of Romantic-era musicians like Horowitz, Cortot, Heifetz, Kreisler, Rachmaninov, Cziffra and Gould.

This victory has boosted his international career. Highlights of his forthcoming engagements include a solo recital in the Great Pianists series at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, performances with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and an appearance in the NTR ZaterdagMatinee series.

Already a sought-after soloist in concert halls across Europe, the 2025/26 season will see Nikola embark on major tours of China, Korea and Japan, as well as Brazil. Nikola Meeuwsen has established a mature career from a young age. He made his solo debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in 2024 and has performed with orchestras including the Belgian National Orchestra, the Residentie Orkest The Hague, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Folkwang Kammerorchester Essen, and the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

Nikola is a welcome guest at festivals such as the Storioni Festival, the Chamber Music Festival Schiermonnikoog, Classical NOW! and the St. Magnus Festival. As a devoted chamber musician he has collaborated with renowned artists including Janine Jansen, Alexander Kerr, Augustin Dumay, Corina Belcea, Vladimir Mendelssohn and Nobuko Imai, as well as leading young musicians such as Noa Wildschut, Benjamin Kruithof, SongHa, Leonhard Baumgartner and Alexander Warenberg. He also regularly performs with his teacher and mentor, Enrico Pace.

He was recognised as a talented musician from an early age, winning the Steinway Competition at the age of nine and receiving the Concertgebouw Young Talent Award in 2019. He has studied with Marlies van Gent since 2010 and with Enrico Pace at the renowned Accademia Pianistica in Imola since 2014. Since 2022, he has been an artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, where he studies with Frank Braley and Avedis Kouyoumdjian.

He has recorded for radio stations such as Bayerischer Rundfunk and NPO Klassiek. 

In his home city of The Hague, Nikola practises on a Bösendorfer grand piano loaned to him by the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation (NMF).