South Korean violinist Lee Hyun-jung, 16, won third prize at the 2026 Long-Thibaud International Competition in Paris on Saturday.
She earned the honor after performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the French Republican Guard Orchestra in the final round.
No first prize was awarded this year. Instead, Italy's Francesco Papa, 20, and Russia's Stefaniya Pospekhina, 19, shared second place. Japan's Marika Konishi, 19, finished fourth.
Lee will receive 12,000 euros ($13,228), in prize money, along with invitations to perform at more than 10 music festivals and venues, including the Opera de Monte-Carlo, Aix-en-Provence, the Gstaad New Year Music Festival and the Royal Opera of Versailles.
"Competing alongside world-class musicians and having the opportunity to perform on a beautiful stage in Paris will be an experience I will remember for a long time," Lee said.
A graduate of Yewon School, a prestigious arts middle school in Seoul, Lee is currently studying under violin professor Sunny Lee at the Seoul Central Conservatory.
At 13, she became the youngest-ever second-prize winner at Romania's George Enescu International Competition. In March, she became the youngest winner of Japan's Munetsugu Angel Violin Competition.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
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