Violinist Lee Hyun-jung places 3rd at Long-Thibaud competition

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, a