Botan Takada (12 years old) is the winner of the Royal Concertgebouw Competition 2025. After being selected from over 200 entries in the digital preliminary round, the cellist made it through the semi-finals and the final at the Concertgebouw. ​​After her performance in the final last Saturday, a jury including conductor Vincent de Kort, master pianist Thomas Beijer, and violinist Julia Philippens awarded her first prize. The jury noted that Botan truly captivates the audience: "The more people in the audience, the better you play, and the more you're in your element!"

Twelve-year-old Botan Takada from The Hague plays the cello and is in the first year of Gymnasium Haganum. She is taught by Matthijs Broersma and started playing the cello because she was enchanted by the warm, muted sound of the instrument. "With the cello, I can express all my emotions: happy, angry, sad—and best of all: funny." "I lose myself in all my imagination," says Botan. During the finals, she played a Bach Prelude and Arutiunian's Impromptu. Botan previously won second prize at the Britten Cello Competition 2025 and the Ensemble Prize at the Music Competition 2024 with her piano trio. She hopes to perform with the Concertgebouw Orchestra later – "because everyone there plays so well, and I'd love to talk to them about what makes their instrument special."

The 7/8 premium cello she played during the competition is a rental instrument from the extensive collection of cellos at Strijkinstrumenetnshop.nl. Her family has been renting a cello for her since 2018, and we wish Botan much success in her future cello career!