Sophie Tung is currently a 12th grader at Phillips Academy Andover. She first started learning violin at the age of four with Yip’s Children’s Performing Arts Centre and is now under the tutelage of Professor Lynn Chang. She is also a member of the Hong Kong Children’s Symphony Orchestra and the Phillips Academy Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra.

In 2018, at the age of eleven, Sophie passed the Licentiate of Trinity College of London (LTCL) violin diploma exam with distinction. She also passed Grade 8 Piano of The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. During her years of learning violin, she participated in the annual Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, as well as various international music competitions such as the Cremona International Music Festival and the Berliner International Music Competition, earning numerous prizes. She has also had masterclass opportunities with Zia Shin, Solomiya Ivakhiv, Christoph Poppen, and others.

Sophie loves playing chamber music with her friends at school and during summer festivals. She is currently involved in Andover-Lawrence Strings, a community engagement program that allows her to give violin lessons to young children. She hopes to continue thriving in her career as a musician while performing for more people from all over the world.

Interview

Congratulations on being the winner of the most recent WPO Student Concerto Competition! You already have a very impressive resume as a violin player. When did you start playing, and what interested you in the violin, in particular?

I started playing the violin when I was 4 and a half years old. It was not my choice to begin with, but I immediately fell in love with the instrument. My dad bought me a tiny sixteenth-sized violin after I won a Math Olympiad competition. He always jokes about how my eyes widened in exhilaration right after seeing the gift. One thing about the violin that appealed to me the most was the sweet and beautiful sound of the E string. I really liked the prospect of going higher and higher on the fingerboard. 

You have a connection to Hong Kong, as a member of the children’s orchestra and music festivals there. Can you tell us more about that, and how your Hong Kong experiences contribute to your musicianship?

Music education in Hong Kong is very different from that of the United States. Most parents believe that the faster their children learn the better, so everyone races to achieve different diploma levels. I think the intense competition led to one of my greatest strengths which is to pick up a new piece of music very fast. Group classes were highly encouraged in Hong Kong. Every Sunday, I would go to my neighborhood music center to play with violinists at a similar level. Due to this method of learning, I developed very good collaboration and listening skills, which help a lot in my current chamber music endeavors. 

Tell us about your current music experience at Phillips Academy.

I am currently the concertmistress of the Phillips Academy Orchestra. I have a lot of fun during rehearsals and occasionally get the opportunity to lead sectionals. Before coming to Phillips Academy, I was very shy and rarely expressed my opinions in large group settings. However, after spending two years here, I became more confident about my knowledge of various topics, including music. This semester, I am a coach of one of the on-campus chamber music ensembles. I lead my peers in discussions about stylistic elements, bowings, interpretation, etc. In addition to that, I take part in a community engagement program named Andover Lawrence Strings in which I teach 10th-graders to play the violin. 

You’ve won prizes in various international competitions. What are some of your most outstanding experiences in these competitions?

I tend to forget about how I actually feel on stage during a competition and the exhilaration of winning a prize. Oftentimes, the location of a competition is the most memorable to me because I like to focus on its acoustics. For example, my favorite concert hall is the Museo del Violino in Cremona, Italy. It has a very high ceiling and an unusual circular pit in the center. When I was 11, I participated in the Cremona Music Festival and got the chance to compete in the Museo. I remember how my Paganini Caprice No. 20 instantly sounded better with the heavy reverberation in the hall. I stayed in Cremona for 28 days for the festival and it was, overall, a spectacular experience that made me fall in love with the city.  

On October 27, you’ll be playing Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, Op. 47. Does that piece have special meaning to you? What are some of your favorite composers and pieces?

I first heard the Sibelius Violin Concerto in a Japanese movie named Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura. There is a scene where the protagonist goes to the underworld and reunites with his lost wife. While he looks for his wife, the climax of the concerto’s 3rd movement plays in the background. From then on, the concerto always reminds me of a transcendental romance with a bit of the spiritual. My current favorite composer is Johannes Brahms and my favorite pieces include Ysaÿe’s Sonata No. 3, Ravel’s Tzigane, and Amy Beach’s Piano Trio.

How do you feel about playing with the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra in our opening concert of the 2024-25 season?

I am so honored to play in the WPO opening concert. I have never run through a full concerto with an orchestra before let alone play such a big role. I am definitely feeling a bit nervous, but I can’t wait to hear how the piece comes together over the course of our rehearsals. In the following weeks, I will try my best to get my entrances right and find a consistent tempo. I look forward to working with everyone!

Thank you so much!