The Hamann Sisters, Amy and Sara, were born just 17 months apart.

In many ways, they are much like twins. They finish each other’s sentences, practically read each other’s minds and both are pianists.

“We pretty much communicate without talking,” Sara said.

“We are so interconnected that it’s as though we are twins,” Amy said.

The sisters will perform with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra on Saturday.

Playing dual pianos

They’ve played dual piano concerti since they were 4 and 5 years old.

Growing up in Edina, Minn., they attended the University of Minnesota.

Recently, the sisters were honored by being called Yamaha Artists by the Yamaha Corp. of America.

They won the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies’ Concerto Competition and made their professional debut at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul.

Have they ever considered solo careers?

“No,” Sara said. “Since we were both blessed with the same gift and commitment to our art form and each other, we’ve never considered pursuing a solo career. We consider that this is an extraordinary gift and we’ve trusted that this is what we’re supposed to do with our lives.”

They have performed with orchestras and at music festivals in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Last season, they played the American premiere of Haydn’s “Concerto for Two Pianos.”

Amy and Sara are the first American piano duo to win the Absolute First Prize in the Fryderyk Chopin Concorso Pianistico Internazionale in Rome, and were the first-prize winners of the International Grieg Competition in Oslo.

They were also the youngest first prize winners in the history of the National Federation of Music Ellis Competition for Duo-Pianists. They also won the Lucile Parrish Ward Award for the best performance of American music. The sisters also won the McKnight Artist Fellowship for Performing Musicians from the MacPhail Center for Music.

Their first CD, “Jeux d’Enfants and Other Works for Piano Duo,” will be followed by the complete four hand works by Beethoven.

How to tell them apart

One way to tell them apart is by their hair — Amy has curly hair and Sara has straight hair. Some people ask if they are twins while others don’t believe they’re sisters.

Amy is the elder sister, and they were one grade apart in school.

Both are married and neither has children. Amy has two dogs. Sara has a cat. The sisters practice at Amy’s two-piano home because Amy is allergic to cats.

Looking forward to a trip south

The sisters say Minnesota has been very cold and snowy this winter.

“We can’t wait to get to Georgia,” said Sara. When told that temperatures were expected to reach the upper 30s at night during their stay in Columbus, Amy said people in Minnesota would consider that a heat wave and wear shorts and flip-flops. Sara said Wednesday morning’s temperature was 5 degrees in Minnesota.

Besides the warm weather, the sisters are excited that Columbus Symphony Orchestra conductor and music director George del Gobbo requested the duo play one of their favorites, the Poulenc concerto.

“We’re really happy to perform it,” Amy said.