We congratulate Violinist Dmitry Smirnov who has made it to the semi-finals of this year's Queen Elisabeth Competition. Already in the first round, he captivated the audience in the hall and on the screens with his performance of Paganini's Caprice No. 4 in C minor, Clara Schumann's 3 Romanzen op. 22, and Eugène Ysaÿe's 3rd Sonata in D minor.

On May 15, during the first part of the semi-finals, Dmitry caused controversy with his interpretation of the 4th Mozart Violin Concerto in D major KV 218. He was accompanied by the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie under the direction of Vahan Mardirossian, delivering a unique performance that resonated deeply with the audience.

During the semi-finals, Dmitry's recital on May 18, featured the compulsory commissioned work for the competition, The Sun and Her Flowers, by British composer Charlotte Bray. Dmitry was once again accompanied by pianist Tatiana Chernichka. This was followed by the Solo Violin Sonata in G minor by Béla Bartók.

Watch all of Dmitry's performances here.