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French Trumpet Soloist Honored with 2026 Leonard Bernstein Award
Posted February 13, 2026
French Trumpet Soloist Honored with 2026 Leonard Bernstein Award
The 2026 Leonard Bernstein Award—one of the most prestigious honors for emerging classical musicians—has been awarded to French trumpet soloist Lucienne Renaudin Vary. The prize, presented as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany, recognizes exceptional artistry and promise in young performers and reflects the festival’s long-standing commitment to nurturing musical talent in the spirit of Leonard Bernstein.
At 27, Renaudin Vary is celebrated for her extraordinary virtuosity and stylistic versatility, effortlessly bridging classical and jazz idioms. In recognition of the award’s 25th anniversary, the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, the festival’s sponsor, doubled the prize money to €20,000, underscoring its ongoing support for young artists.
Reflecting on the honor, Renaudin Vary said:
“I feel very honored to receive the Leonard Bernstein Award. I want to express my deep thanks to the team of the SHMF, a festival with which I feel very connected! This wonderful festival celebrates creativity and the dialogue between different styles — values that Leonard Bernstein deeply embodied. I feel a special affinity with this open and lively vision of music and am very grateful to belong to this brilliant group of laureates.”
The award will be officially presented during Renaudin Vary’s prizewinner concert on August 21, 2026, at the festival in Lübeck, where she will perform with ensemble reflektor under the direction of conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni. The program promises works such as Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto and Gershwin’s An American in Paris, embodying the stylistic openness and creative dialogue that defined Bernstein’s own career.
Since its inception in 2002, the Leonard Bernstein Award has been a springboard for outstanding young musicians, including past recipients such as Lang Lang, Martin Grubinger, and Anastasia Kobekina, helping to launch international careers in the world of classical music.