Both brothers started playing the piano at the age of five. Lucas: “After a couple of lessons by my mother, I got the taste of it. So I started taking lessons, followed by a number of house concerts and smaller concerts. Then Maria João Pires entered our lives and offered us the unique opportunity to take lessons with her in Portugal and Brazil for a year. At the time I was eleven and Arthur was eight, and we were not really aware of the fact that we were studying with such a great pianist. She laid the building blocks for our piano play.” Arthur tells his big brother really inspired him. “Because of Lucas I also started playing the piano and we rather quickly began playing together.”

To the question how it feels to have a breakthrough at such a young age, Arthur modestly answers: “We do not really see it as a breakthrough. It is still easy now. However, a kind of hype has been created. The real achievement is to keep going after the breakthrough”. “It is not that we are not happy with how things are going now, on the contrary, we are extremely happy”, Lucas adds to it, laughing.

“Apart from pianists, we also are normal high-school students who as much as possible follow the timetable. We do miss a class now and then, and we are given a little less homework. Fortunately, we both pick up things easily, so everything is going well.”

Next year will be Lucas’ final examination year. “All requests are matched to my examination schedule. So they are planned well. No performances around my examinations”, Lucas indicates. “If I pass I would like to study abroad. Abroad you will get to know new people, and new people will teach you new things. Right now, I study with Jan Wijn, so for the time being this is perfect. I have not really decided yet, it’s still hard to choose. I could also study for a job, but actually I already have one”, Lucas laughs. “I still have plenty of time to think about a continuation course, I am not really doing that right now”, Lucas says.

The coming period will be more relaxed for the brothers. They have just returned from a tour – from Dallas back to Hilversum. “The proverb ‘East, West, Home’s Best’ surely applies to us too. We are always very happy to be home again. To have a drink with our friends at ‘de Jonge Haan’, or play tennis. And going out with friends, of course”. “Fortunately, we can just go out without being recognised. However, I do notice that after our ‘promotion tour’ people often come to speak to me. But I really appreciate that”, Lucas says.

“Our friends appreciate and respect what we are doing. But it will not make them love classical music. Of course, we do hope that we can bring young people into contact with classical music, and to incite them to play an instrument themselves.” Arthur also plays the electric drums and Lucas plays the electric guitar, just recreationally. “Every day we practice two to three hours on the piano – and more on holidays and during weekends. Naturally, there are days you don’t actually want to – but everyone has that occasionally”.