Possessed of a superb talent’ (The Australian), with ‘a searing and poetic tone’ (The Guardian), violinist Emily Sun’s powerful sound and compelling, captivating interpretations have won her international renown. Awards and prizes have included the Tagore Gold Medal from the Royal College of Music, the 2018 ABC Young Performers Award (Australia), the 2016 Royal Overseas League Music Competition (UK), and the Brahms (Austria), Yampolsky (Russia) and Lipizer (Italy) International Violin Competitions. She was a Young Concert Artist for the Tillett Trust, The Worshipful Company of Musicians and City Music Foundation.
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Artist-in-Association in 2023, including for the critically acclaimed world premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin’s violin concerto, ‘Fantasie im Wintergarten’ described as “engrossing” and “magical” (Limelight), soloist engagements also include the Bruch, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven concertos with the Sydney, Melbourne and West Australian Symphony Orchestras with conductors Mark Wigglesworth, Jaime Martín, Asher Fisch, and Benjamin Northey, including regional touring with WASO to Albany, in Western Australia. Chamber music engagements in Australia include for the Australian Festival of Classical Music (Townsville), Hobart Town Hall for Musica Viva Tasmania, Bendigo Chamber Music Festival (VIC) and at Elder Hall (SA) with pianist Andrea Lam.
The 2024 season sees Emily continue as ASO Artist-in-Association, with two programs as soloist alongside conductors Andrew Litton, and Shiyeon Siung, as well as her soloist debut with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Johannes Fritzsch.
Recent seasons’ highlights include as soloist with the West Australian, Adelaide and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras and London Mozart Players with conductors Vasily Petrenko, Benjamin Northey, Tan Dun and Howard Griffiths; national touring for Musica Viva Australia, Sydney Festival, and as soloist with the EU Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Royal Wallonie, Orchestre de Chambre Namur; the Arlington and Arizona Symphony Orchestras in USA, and the Shanghai Symphony and Qingdao Symphony Orchestras (China).
Emily Sun has been ABC Artist-in-Residence, BBC Introducing Artist, with regular broadcasts on Classic FM, BBC Radio 3 (UK), Kol Hamusica (Israel), WXQR (USA), and Musiq 3 (Belgium), and featured in the acclaimed Australian documentary ‘Mrs Carey’s Concert’. Significant solo debuts include Sydney Opera House, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Tchaikovsky Great Hall Moscow, and Seoul Arts Centre. Emily was invited to perform at Buckingham Palace alongside Maxim Vengerov in Bach’s Double Violin Concerto at the Royal Gala in the presence of HRH Prince of Wales, and at the Royal Palace of Brussels in the presence of the King and Queen of Belgium. Chamber collaborators have included Maxim Vengerov, Gary Hoffman, Miguel da Silva, Marc Coppey, and Danny Driver.
Her acclaimed debut album, Nocturnes (ABC Classics), was described as “a winner on every count” and reached no. 1 on the classical charts and nominated for ‘Best Classical Album’ in the 2021 ARIA Awards. Sun’s recording as part of Ensemble Émigré of Robert Kahn’s Music from the Tree of Life (Rubicon Classics) earned 5 stars from BBC Music Magazine.
Emily is a Violin Professor at the Royal College of Music, London and has been a jury member of several international violin competitions. She plays a 1760 Nicolò Gagliano violin, kindly loaned to her through the Beare’s International Violin Society.
Emily is represented exclusively in Australia and New Zealand by Cinque Artist Management. For more information please see emilysunviolin.com
Latest News
January 2022, Emily has added general management with UK classical music agency, Percius Management. Emily continues to be represented exclusively in Australia and New Zealand by Cinque Artist Management. Read more here.
2021 release ‘Nocturnes’ (ABC Classics), which is Emily Sun’s debut album and featuring pianist Andrea Lam, received a nomination for a 2021 ARIA Award for ‘Best Classical Album’. Read more here.
Emily Sun is winner of the 2018 ABC Young Performer Award, Australia’s premier award for young musicians, with performances in 2020 with the Melbourne, Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.