It’s nothing short of a miracle that Ivo Niehe hasn’t shown up on his doorstep yet. The story of the prodigy Nikola Meeuwsen sounds like the perfect episode of the TV Show. Ever since the 24-year-old from The Hague became the first Dutchman ever to win the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels last year, the world has been at his feet.

Nikola Meeuwsen has the same boyish swagger as those two other great Dutch piano talents: the brothers Arthur and Lucas Jussen. On top of that, Meeuwsen comes from an exceptionally musical family. The young mezzo-soprano Maria Warenberg, a finalist in the 2023 Queen Elisabeth Competition, is his niece. And Nikola Meeuwsen also performs as part of a duo or trio with her brother, the equally talented cellist Alexander Warenberg.

Last will find it increasingly difficult to find time, because since winning the prestigious music award, invitations from orchestras all over the world have been pouring in. “It’s been an exceptional year, and things are only going to get better in the coming years,” he says. “Orchestras plan their repertoires well in advance. That means the programs for the 2027–2028 season are already booked. One of the countries on the schedule for then is Japan. I’m already really looking forward to the concert with the Tokyo Symphony.”

Nikola Meeuwsen grew up in the Belgisch Park neighborhood of Scheveningen. That is also where the Bösendorfer—grand piano —built in Vienna in 1979, is located; he received it on loan from the National Musical Instrument Fund. In recent years, he has spent more time abroad than in Scheveningen. For example, he lived and studied as an artist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, near Brussels. That was also where, in 2025, he isolated himself for a week—without a phone or any other contact with the outside world—to prepare for the music competition.

He still says he can’t believe everything that’s come his way since the jury’s announcement. “It was a bizarre experience,” he says. “All that time leading up to it, you’re so intensely focused on your teacher and the piece you want to master down to the finest detail. And then suddenly, there’s that sense of relief and the enormous attention that comes your way. I’m still getting used to it, but I’ve already had so many new experiences with fantastic orchestras and conductors. And I’ve already been to places I never expected to visit at this point, like Iceland and Norway. I’m really enjoying this ‘full-fledged concert pianist’ experience.”

Not only are his niece and nephew exceptionally talented, but the entire family is musical. Nikola’s mother plays the flute, and his father is a violist and music historian. His uncle Ilya Warenberg is a violinist and served for many years Associate as concertmaster of the Residentie Orkest. He is also the father of Maria and Alexander Warenberg.

“I developed my interest in music thanks to my grandparents,” he says. “They lived next door to us and would host a monthly tryout at their home for ensembles, such as the Matangi Quartet, and the whole neighborhood was invited to come watch. As a child, my uncle often took me to the Residentie Orkest, which was still performing at the Anton Philipszaal at the time. He’d let me go with him through the artists’ entrance.”

On September 11 at Friday , Nikola will once again enter The Hague’s premier concert hall— Concert Hall —through the artists’ entrance. This time, not as a curious young boy, but as the top-tier talent praised in reviews worldwide for his exceptional technique and agility. One of the pieces he will perform is Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto , a musically and technically demanding work. Meeuwsen is looking forward to performing it in his hometown. Tickets are selling fast.

“I’m really looking forward to that concert because it’s in my own city, and I’ve played with the Residentie Orkest many times before, so you get to know the musicians,” he says. “There are also a few good friends of mine in the orchestra, which makes it even more special.”

In the coming months, Nikola Meeuwsen will not only perform with major orchestras, but he will also give recitals and perform in a chamber music ensemble with his niece and nephew. Last week, he had a concert scheduled in Bolzano, Italy, and in October he will embark on a two-week tour of Brazil. Since January of this year, he has been under contract with an international booking agency in London.

“Whenever I have a chance, I try to be back home as much as possible,” he says. “Back with my parents in Scheveningen. Here I can study in peace and quiet and prepare for new pieces. Last , I’ve been delving deeper into Chopin’s works. When I have time off, I love to hop on my bike and go road cycling with a group of friends through the dunes near Scheveningen. And I go running, because it’s a sport you can always do while traveling. But nothing beats cycling—that’s what I miss most when I’m abroad. It’s nice to be back in The Hague, but really, I’m everywhere and nowhere.”

He isn’t recognized on the street yet, but he doesn’t think that’s necessary. “I’m especially glad that my work is sparking interest in classical music. For me, too, this is a world in which there’s still so much to discover.”

Nikola Meeuwsen knew where his future lay from a very young age. In 2012, he reached the national finals of the Steinway Piano Competition. In the Small Hall of Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, he won both the audience and jury prizes in the Category A (ages 10 and under) division. The AD interviewed the 9-year-old prodigy afterward and asked him about his future plans: did he perhaps want to become a piano teacher someday? “Piano teacher…,” replied the young Nikola, somewhat exasperated. “No, I want to become a master pianist. That’s my dream.”

Nico Heemelaar / AD Haagsche Courant