Lucienne Renaudin Vary Receives 2026 Bernstein Award at Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival

French trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary, 27, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Leonard Bernstein Award, presented by the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (SHMF) and endowed by the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. The award, now in its 25th year, has doubled its prize money to 20,000 euros in celebration of the anniversary. Vary, who began trumpet lessons at age eight and entered the Paris Conservatory at 15, released her debut album at 17, blending classical and jazz. She will perform at the festival on August 21 at the Musik- und Kongresshalle Lübeck and August 22 at the Deutsches Haus Flensburg, with the ensemble reflektor conducted by Vimbayi Kaziboni. The program includes Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major, Gershwin's 'An American in Paris' arranged for trumpet and orchestra, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. In an interview, Vary discussed the significance of the award, her approach to repertoire, and her habit of performing barefoot, which she says helps her feel the music more directly. She cited Alison Balsom, Chet Baker, and Clifford Brown as inspirations and expressed a desire to collaborate with contemporary composers on new works. Previous laureates include Lang Lang and Lisa Batiashvili.