The Rheingau Music Festival's Lotto Sponsorship Prize will be awarded to a piano duo for the first time this year. The €15,000 prize will go to the South Korean brothers Hyuk and Hyo Lee, the organizers announced on Monday. The prize will be presented to the musicians during their concert on August 15 at Johannisberg Castle.

Hyuk and Hyo Lee

The jury explained that the two pianists (born in 2000 and 2005, respectively) exemplify an extraordinary combination of individual artistic personality and a unique musical partnership. As soloists, each impresses with a distinctive style. "However, their joint performances reveal another dimension of their artistic output, as Hyuk and Hyo Lee merge into an impressive unity as a piano duo," the statement read.

The festival's sponsorship prize has been awarded since 2009 and is sponsored by Lotto Hessen. Previous winners include Sebastian Manz (clarinet), Vestard Shimkus and Christopher Park (both piano), Pablo Fernandéz and Sheku Kanneh-Mason (both cello), the Finnish conductor Tarmo Pelkokoski, and last year's recipient, the Leonkoro Quartet.

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