Hailed by the Australian Daily Telegraph as a "viola prodigy," Australian-Korean violist Lisa Sung is a laureate of numerous international competitions including the 12th Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 10th Gisborne International Music Competition. She has performed the Bartók Concerto at the Sydney Opera House and played in other renowned venues such as Carnegie, Seoul Arts Center, and Alice Tully Hall. She has had the distinct honor of performing for the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, has been featured live on WQXR, Medici TV, 2MBS-FM (Sydney), and has been recognized in both Australian and Korean national publications.
Lisa is a guest musician with world-class orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. In the summer of 2022, she joined the New York Philharmonic on their tour of Germany, which was followed by a Krzyżowa-Music Festival tour of Poland and Germany. This summer, Lisa is set to embark on a European tour with the Boston Symphony Orchestra before she begins her new permanent position with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra beginning in the 2023-24 season.
A passionate chamber musician, she has performed alongside distinguished artists such as Gary Hoffman, Paul Neubauer, and Donald Weilerstein, and has worked closely with the Borromeo, Brentano, Emerson, Juilliard, and Shanghai String Quartets. She has participated in prestigious music festivals such as Music@Menlo, Verbier Festival Academy, Yellow Barn, Perlman Music Program, Four Seasons Chamber Music Workshop, Taos School of Music, Krzyżowa-Music Festival, Lac Léman Music Masterclass, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and IMS Prussia Cove.
Furthermore, Lisa's deep commitment to using music as a powerful tool to bring people together and provide comfort to those in need has been an integral part of her musical journey. This dedication began at age six when she started performing biweekly in nursing homes and hospitals throughout her hometown of Sydney, giving over 300 community engagement performances in a span of twelve years. Since then, Lisa has continued to expand her reach, bringing music to audiences across Europe and Asia, and in various community engagement programs, 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.
Beyond her passion for performance and community engagement, Lisa is also a devoted teacher and mentor, working with students privately and online in multiple countries. She was a music teacher at the Sydney Youth Orchestra and several private schools, including her alma mater, MLC School Sydney. Through all of her endeavors, Lisa remains dedicated to the belief that music has the power to connect people, provide comfort, and inspire hope.
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Lisa earned her Graduate Diploma degree from the New England Conservatory where she studied under the tutelage of Kim Kashkashian. She has her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School where she studied with Paul Neubauer and Cynthia Phelps as a proud recipient of the inaugural Kovner Fellowship. Her previous mentor is Tobias Breider.
Last edited May 2023