Mikyung Sung | |
---|---|
Born | Seoul, South Korea | September 1, 1993
Genres | Classical |
Occupation(s) | Double Bassist |
Instrument | Double Bass |
Years active | 2006–present |
Website | mikyungsung |
Mikyung Sung (Korean: 성미경, sometimes spelled Mikyung Soung, born September 1, 1993, in Seoul, South Korea) is a classical double bass player.[1]
Education
[edit]Born into a musical family, Mikyung Sung first studied piano and cello, then started playing bass at age 10. Her lessons were initially from her father, Youngseog Sung, who played bass for 30 years in the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. She was accompanied on piano by her mother, Inja Choi, who was pianist for the Korean National Choir. Her brother Minje, three years older, with whom she played many duos while growing up, is also an international award-winning double bassist, having won both the J.M. Sperger and the Koussevitsky competitions.
After attending the Sunhwa Arts School, she attended the Korea National University of Arts Preliminary School before earning a Bachelor of Music degree there as a gifted student in 2013, studying with Ho-gyo Lee.
She earned an Artist Diploma in 2017 at the Conservatory of Music of the Colburn School in Los Angeles, where she studied with Peter Lloyd. She also participated in master classes with Janne Saksala, Rinat Ibragimov, Joseph Conyers, and Klaus Trumpf [de], as well as with violinist Arnold Steinhardt and cellists Peter Wiley and Hans Jørgen Jensen [da].[2][3][4]
Competitions
[edit]In South Korea she received first prize in competitions such as the Korean Chamber Orchestra (KCO) Music Competition in 2007, Haneum National Music Competition, Music Education Journal Competition, and Korea Double Bass Association Competition in 2010.[5][6]
In 2010 she was awarded First Prize, Audience Prize, and the Special Jury Prize at the International J. M. Sperger Competition for Double Bass in Germany, after having placed fourth two years before. As a result, she subsequently was invited to perform with orchestras in Koblenz, Neubrandenburg, and Dessau.[7][8][9]
At the International Society of Bassists (ISB) Convention in Colorado in 2015, she was awarded the Thomas Martin Prize for the Best Performance of a Work by Bottesini, as well as second place overall in the solo division.[10][11]
At the 2016 ARD International Music Competition she progressed to the second round in the double bass category.[12]
At the 2017 Bradetich Foundation Competition she won the internet-voted prize for her finals performance of Bottesini's Concerto No. 2, as well as Honorable Mention overall.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
Solo Performances
[edit]With Orchestra
[edit]Her professional debut as a soloist was at age 12 with the Guri Philharmonic in South Korea. Since then, she has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie Koblenz in 2011, Neubrandenburger Philharmonie [de], Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau [de], Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Philharmonia Corea, Concordia College Orchestra, Korea National University of Arts Orchestra, Sunhwa Arts School Orchestra, Caesura Youth Orchestra in 2016, Colburn Orchestra in 2016 and 2017 at Zipper Hall, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the Soraya Center for the Performing Arts, and Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019.[21][22][23][24][25]
Recitals
[edit]She performed in Prodigy and Young Artist recitals at the Kumho Art Hall in 2007 and 2010, the Korea National University of Arts concert series, recital and Performance Forum appearances at Thayer Hall at the Colburn School, several times at the Huntington Library in 2016–18, the 2018 One Month Festival, several times at The House Concert series presented by Park Chang-soo in Seoul, Korea in 2018–19, and at the Kukje Art Hall in 2019.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]
She was most often accompanied in her early years by her mother, Inja Choi, from 2014 to 2015 by Eloise Kim, from 2016 to 2018 by Jaemin Shin, and since 2019 by Ilya Rashkovskiy.
Duos and Chamber Music
[edit]She performed duos with her brother, Minjie Sung, as "2Bass" and the "MJK Ensemble," including at the Ditto Festival in 2007, Kumho Art Hall in 2011, and The House Concert in Korea in 2013. She also performed in bass duos with Sukyung Chun and pianist Eloise Kim at Colburn in 2014 and the Sierra Madre Playhouse in 2015. That same year she also performed in a bass quartet led by her brother at the Ditto Festival in Seoul.[36][37][38][39][40]
She has also played in chamber music concerts, for instance at the Mount St. Mary's University Doheny Mansion and Palm Springs Life Festival in 2016 and Shanghai Orchestra Academy in 2018.[41][42]
In 2020, she formed a double bass quartet called the Emeth Ensemble, which has played concerts in Korea and released videos on YouTube.[43]
Television
[edit]Mikyung Sung was a featured young artist on the KBS1 Classic Odyssey [ko] 2011 New Years Special and was the featured performer on the first regular episode of KBS's series "Masterpiece Scandal [ko]", also in 2011. She and her brother Minje were featured on the KBS1 show Classic Odyssey [ko] in 2013, with their mother as piano accompanist.[44][45][circular reference][46][47][circular reference][48]
Internet
[edit]Some of her impromptu videos have achieved viral popularity, including of the Gigue from Hans Fryba [de]'s Suite in the Olden Style and of Bottesini's Elegy No. 1 that each received over a million views on Facebook, as well as being available on YouTube.[49][50][51][52]
Orchestral Playing and Teaching
[edit]After university, she auditioned for and won positions in two Korean orchestras, including Assistant Principal Bass of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra; however, she declined both positions in order to pursue graduate studies in the United States.[53]
She performed as a principal bass with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and taught on the double bass faculty of the Shanghai Orchestra Academy for the 2018–2019 concert season.[54][55][56][57][58]
Discography
[edit]The Colburn Sessions. Music of Giovanni Bottesini, Jules Massenet, Paul Hindemith, Vilmos Montag, Felix Mendelssohn, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and César Franck. Jaemin Shin, collaborative pianist. (2023)
Name
[edit]Initially her name was most often transliterated as "Mikyung Soung", and it shows up as such in material related to various competitions, concerts, as referred to by The Colburn School, and media coverage of such events. However, more recently, she has switched all her social media accounts to "Mikyung Sung", consistent with how her father and brother now consistently spell their names, and all concert programs from 2019 have used this spelling.
References
[edit]- ^ "Colburn School Performance Forum Mikyung Soung". Colburn School. 2016-10-27 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Colburn School Student Accomplishments". Colburn School.
- ^ "성미경 & 일리야 라쉬코프스키 듀오콘서트" [Mikyung Sung & Ilya Rashkovsky Duo Concert] (in Korean). Kukje Art Hall. 2019-03-27.
- ^ "About the 2017 Bradetich Compettion Finalists – Mikyung Soung". Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog. 2017-09-05.
- ^ "성미경 : 한음" [Han: Mikyung Sung] (in Korean). 한음 (Han).
- ^ Minje Sung, Mikyung Sung, Inja Choi (2013-05-08). 사랑의 인사_E. 엘가 곡_더블베이스-성민제 성미경 남매 피아노-어머니 최인자 [Greetings of love: E. Elgar on Double Bass – Sung Minje, his sister Sung Mi Kyung, and Piano: Mother Choi Inja] (Videotape) (in Korean). KBS via 강기남 (Kang Gi Nam) on YouTube.
- ^ "Sperger Competition 2010". International J.M. Sperger Competition for Double Bass.
- ^ "February 2011 ISB E-Newsletter – News of Note". International Society of Bassists.
- ^ Trumpf, Klaus (2015-03-18). Ein Kontrabass reist um die Welt: Erlebte Geschichte(n) eines Musikers [A Double Bass Travels Around the World: Stories of a Musician's Experience] (in German). Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-7386-8738-5. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
- ^ "ISB Double Bass Performance Competition – Past Winners". International Society of Bassists.
- ^ "2015 Performance Competition Results". International Society of Bassists. 2015-06-04.
- ^ "ARD Music Competition 2016 – Participants and Results". Bayerischer Rundfunk.
- ^ "2017 Competition Winners". Bradetich Foundation.
- ^ Mikyung Sung (2017-09-18). Mikyung Soung performs Bottesini and shares thoughts on double bass (Videotape). Contrabass Conversations on YouTube.
- ^ Mikyung Sung (bass), Jaemin Shin (piano) (2017-09-05). Mikyung Soung performing at the Bradetich Competition (Videotape). Contrabass Conversations on YouTube.
- ^ "Bradetich Foundation International Double Bass Solo Competition names 21 candidates". The Strad. 2017-03-28.
- ^ "Bradetich double bass competition heads into finals". The Strad. 2017-09-04.
- ^ "Bradetich Double Bass Competition names winner". The Strad. 2017-09-06.
- ^ "A Look Back at the 2017 Bradetich Competition". Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog. 2017-09-06.
- ^ "Prizes Awarded at Texas' Bradetich Foundation Double Bass Competition". The Violin Channel. 2017-09-06.
- ^ "Spannende Solisten, attraktive Programme – Orchesterkonzerte im Görreshaus 2011/2012" [Exciting soloists, attractive programs – Orchestral concerts in the Görreshaus 2011/2012] (in German). Andreas Pecht. 2011-10-11.
- ^ "Concert to feature acclaimed musician, local students". Glendale News-Press – via The Los Angeles Times. 2016-07-07.
- ^ "Colburn Orchestra, Yehuda Gilad, Music Director and Conductor; Mikyung Soung, double bass at The Wallis". Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts – via Love Beverly Hills. 2016-03-06.
- ^ "The Soraya Center for the Performing Arts – Past Performances". Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts at California State University, Northridge.
- ^ "성남시립교향악단 161회 정기연주회 4월 19일 개최" [Seongnam City Symphony Orchestra 161st Subscription Concert held on April 19] (in Korean). 한성뉴스넷 (Hansung Newsnet). 2019-04-16.
- ^ "Colburn School Performance Forum Mikyung Soung". Colburn School. 2016-10-27 – via Instagram.
- ^ "[금호영재콘서트] 성미경 콘트라베이스 독주회" [[Kumho Prodigy Concert] Sung Mi Kyung Contrabass Recital] (in Korean). Kumho Art Hall. 2007-09-15.
- ^ "[금호영아티스트콘서트] 성미경 더블베이스 독주회" [[Kumho Young Artist Concert] Sungmikyung Double Bass Recital] (in Korean). Kumho Art Hall. 2010-01-16.
- ^ Mikyung Sung (2016-05-26). "Carnegie Astronomy – Colburn Students at the Huntington". Youngseog Sung. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26 – via Instagram.
- ^ "2019 Astronomy Lecture Series". Carnegie Science.
- ^ Mikyung Sung (2017-05-16). Carnegie Astronomy – Vanhal Concerto at the Huntington (Videotape). Mikyung Sung. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26 – via Instagram.
- ^ "제640회 하우스콘서트" [The 640th House Concert] (in Korean). The House Concert.
- ^ "제648회 하우스콘서트" [The 648th House Concert] (in Korean). The House Concert.
- ^ "제681회 하우스콘서트" [The 681st House Concert] (in Korean). The House Concert.
- ^ "성미경 & 일리야 라쉬코프스키 듀오콘서트" [Mikyung Sung & Ilya Rashkovskiy Duo Concert] (in Korean). Kukje Art Hall. 2019-03-27.
- ^ "클래시컬 프론티어 시리즈 - 성민제 & 성미경 더블 베이스 듀오" [Classical Frontier Series – Sung Min Je & Sung Mi Kyung Double Bass Duo] (in Korean). Kumho Art Hall. 2011-09-08.
- ^ "제353회 하우스 콘서트 2 BASS" [353rd House Concert: 2BASS] (in Korean). The House Concert. 2013-06-21.
- ^ "About the 2017 Bradetich Competition Finalists". Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog.
- ^ Mikyung Sung (bass), Sukyung Chun (bass), Eloise Kim (piano) (2015-04-04). Amoris Trio concert at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, "Nearer my God to Thee" (Videotape). Eloise Kim (published 2017-11-19) – via Facebook.
- ^ "Monterey Park Press vol. 3 no. 14: What's Happening A day-by-day look at events and activities in the San Gabriel Valley this week". HLR Media, Inc. 2015-04-02. p. 2 – via Issu.
- ^ "Project Amadeus With Students From Colburn And USC". Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu. 2016-12-09.
- ^ Mikyung Sung (2018-11-29). "Shanghai Orchestra Academy Chamber Music". Mikyung Sung. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Emeth Ensemble". Mikyung Sung. 2023-07-14.
- ^ "4인의 젊은 연주자를 주목하라 - KBS 1TV '클래식 오디세이'" [Notice the Four Young Musicians – KBS 1TV 'Classic Odyssey'] (in Korean). Seoul Newspaper. 2011-01-04.
- ^ Masterpiece Scandal – Broadcast List – 2011
- ^ Mikyung Sung (bass), Inja Choi (piano) (2015-04-26). 2012년kbs명작스캔들 [2012 One Year Ago KBS Masterpiece Scandal] (Television production) (in Korean). KBS – via YouTube.
- ^ Episode List of Classic Odyssey – 2013
- ^ Minjie Sung (bass), Mikyung Sung (bass), Inja Choi (piano) (2013-05-08). KBS 클래식 오디세이, 춤추는 두대의 더블베이스 [KBS Classic Odyssey: Two dancing double basses] (Television production) (in Korean). KBS – via YouTube.
- ^ "Double Bass News for 7/5/17". Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog. 2017-07-05.
- ^ "Mikyung Sung plays the Gigue from Hans Fryba's Suite im Alten Stil". The Strad. 2017-09-04.
- ^ "KrazzyFryba". Mikyung Sung. 2017-06-04 – via Facebook.
- ^ "Bottesini elegy with my mom". Mikyung Sung. 2015-08-30 – via Facebook.
- ^ "About the 2017 Bradetich Competition Finalists". Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog.
- ^ "임희영·성미경, 중국 대표 음악학교·교향악단 입성" [Lim Hee-young and Sung Mi-kyung join China's leading music school and symphony orchestra] (in Korean). MBC News. 2018-05-30.
- ^ "乐队成员" [Performers] (in Chinese). 上海交响乐团 (Shanghai Symphony Orchestra).
- ^ "Student Accomplishments, March 2019". Colburn School. 2019-03-01.
- ^ "Status Update: Left Job at Shanghai Symphony Orchestra - 上海交响乐团". Mikyung Sung. 2019-10-25 – via Facebook.
- ^ "Status Update: Left Job at Shanghai Orchestra Academy". Mikyung Sung. 2019-10-25 – via Facebook.