No fewer than three students from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam won awards at the finals of the Jonge Makers Prijs 2025 on Thursday, January 30, at TivoliVredenburg. Quintijn van Heek won the first prize with ensemble Qusion, Eva van der Sterren won the second prize, and Elsa Le Moigne secured the fourth prize with ensemble ZaZoo. The Jonge Makers Prijs is a competition organized by the renowned Dutch Violin Competition, but instead of classical music, it focuses on talented string players and their ensembles performing other genres. The jury consisted of musicians Julija Hartig, Yannick Hiwat, Gjermund Larsen and Rebecca Wise with Tim Kliphuis as the chair.

Quintijn van Heek
Quintijn van Heek, a bachelor’s student in classical violin at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, impressed the jury with his unique interpretation of Stravinsky and his remarkable collaboration with a dancer. According to the jury, it was a "mature and daring" performance. Qusion consists of a violin, a viola (played by Sunniva Skaug), a cello (played by Elsa Le Moigne, who also won fourth prize!), and a dancer—Elodie van Heek, who is also Quintijn's sister. The siblings had previously performed together at the Dutch Violin Competition during the Oskar Back Prize 2024, where Quintijn won the Performance Prize with this same ensemble.

Eva van der Sterren
E is a bachelor’s student in jazz violin at C. Describing herself as an “eccentric free spirit,” she led a dynamic, improvisational collective for her final performance, featuring Remon Holsbergen (piano), Casper van Kempen (guitar), Oliver Halmai (bass), and Joshua Derwahl (drums).

Elsa Le Moigne
El is a master’s student in jazz cello at C. She is both the cellist and composer of the ensemble Za, which also includes William Becuwe (trombone), Tejas Ziegler (keys), and Dane Paris (drums). Za stands out with its distinctive blend of musical elements from various styles—combining the layered textures of electronic music, the freedom of jazz, and the rich harmonies of classical music into a unique sonic palette.