About
Hailed by the Australian Daily Telegraph as a “viola prodigy,” Australian-Korean violist Lisa Sung is recognized for her captivating artistry, technical brilliance, and deep musical integrity. A laureate of the 12th Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 10th Gisborne International Music Competition, she has appeared as soloist in the Bartók Viola Concerto at the Sydney Opera House and performed on some of the world’s most renowned stages, including Carnegie Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, and Royal Albert Hall. She has performed for Australian Prime Minister John Howard, been featured live on WQXR Midday Masterpieces, Medici TV, and 2MBS-FM (Sydney radio), and received acclaim in Australian and Korean national press.
Lisa has performed extensively with world-class orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Australian Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra as a guest musician, and has worked under the batons of luminaries such as Herbert Blomstedt, Gustavo Dudamel, Andris Nelsons, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Jaap van Zweden. Lisa joined the New York Philharmonic’s first international tour post COVID-19 to Germany in 2022, as well as the Boston Symphony’s nine-city Europe tour in 2023, and the Kansas City Symphony’s inaugural Europe tour in 2024. Her recording credits include the New York Philharmonic’s Grammy Award-winning A Gathering of Friends with Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams, as well as audio tracks for Netflix productions.
Equally devoted to chamber music, Lisa has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Gary Hoffman, Robert McDonald, Paul Neubauer, and Donald Weilerstein. Her musical collaborations extend across diverse series such as the Jupiter Chamber Players, Chameleon Arts Ensemble, A Far Cry, and Fermata Chamber Soloists. She has performed at major festivals including Verbier Festival Academy, Music@Menlo, Yellow Barn, Perlman Music Program Chamber Workshop, Taos School of Music, Krzyżowa-Music, Four Seasons, and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.
A committed educator and advocate for music’s power to connect, Lisa has worked with the Sydney Youth Orchestra and at several prestigious private schools in Australia. From the age of six, she has brought music to nursing homes and hospitals, performing more than 300 community engagement concerts over the span of twelve years. She has since expanded her outreach internationally through initiatives such as the Gluck Fellowship at Juilliard, Music@Menlo Winter Residency, Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach, and the Perlman Music Program Community Engagement Retreat.
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Lisa holds both Bachelor of Music (2018) and Master of Music (2020) degrees from the Juilliard School where she was a proud recipient of the inaugural Kovner Fellowship, and a Graduate Diploma (2023) from the New England Conservatory. Her principal teachers include Paul Neubauer, Cynthia Phelps, Kim Kashkashian, and Tobias Breider.
Since the 2023–24 season, she has been a member of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and, since fall 2024, has served on the viola faculty at the University of Minnesota School of Music.
Beyond music, she finds joy in hosting dinner parties with friends, baking desserts, exploring photography, and bike riding.
Last updated: August 2025