USU Bass Festival

Guest Artist

Mikyung Sung, a native of Seoul, South Korea, is an active female double bassist who has gained international recognition as a soloist, teacher, and chamber and orchestra musician. Her fearlessly virtuosic and engaging performances are notable for their bel canto lyricism and emotional expression.

Since her professional debut as soloist at age 11 in Korea, Ms. Sung has performed as soloist with orchestras such as the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt, Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Bergen Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in Norway, Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Musicians' Initiative (Singapore), Erato Ensemble, Philharmonia Corea, Colburn Orchestra, Korea National University of Arts Orchestra, University of Guanajuato Orchestra, Concordia University Irvine Orchestra, Sunhwa Arts School Orchestra, Atlanta Festival Youth Orchestra, Caesura Youth Orchestra, and with conductors such as Ludovic Morlot.

Established as a renowned concertizing solo bassist in South Korea, Ms. Sung performed recitals at Seoul Arts Center’s IBK Chamber Hall, Lotte Concert Hall, Kumho Art Hall, Kukje Art Hall, The Raum Social Venue, Music in PyeongChang, The House Concert series, and the Korea National University of Arts concert series. She has also been featured on KBS 1TV's “Classic Odyssey” and “Masterpiece Scandal”, and KBS Classic FM, TBS FM 95.1, and SBS radio.

As a teacher, Ms. Sung has presented master classes at Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music (UK), Open Masterclasses in Berlin, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford University, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Pennsylvania State University, Columbus State University, Kennesaw State University, Qingdao Yehudi Menuhin School (China), Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore), and University of Guanajuato (Mexico), and is featured in online video lessons by Tonebase.

In the 2018-19 season, Ms. Sung was a Principal Bassist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and taught at the Shanghai Orchestra Academy. She had previously won the audition for Assistant Principal Bassist with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015, which she declined in order to attend graduate school.

Initially taught by her double-bassist father, Ms. Sung enjoys collaborating with other musicians and performing a variety of musical genres. She spent six years concertizing across South Korea as a double bass duo with her brother, as well as performing in double bass duos at the Sierra Madre Playhouse in the Los Angeles area with a mixed program of classical standards and arrangements of film scores, and at University of North Carolina School of the Arts Double Bass Day. She performed in a double bass quartet at the Ditto Festival, and later founded the Emeth Ensemble double bass quartet, giving performances across Korea including at IBK Chamber Hall and with an orchestra at Lotte Concert Hall. She has also performed at the Palm Springs Life Festival with Sarah Chang, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Music From Angel Fire, Qingdao Yehudi Menuhin School, Roswell Music Club, Pennsylvania State University, Columbus State University, and with the Emory Chamber Music Society.

In 2010 at age 17, Ms. Sung was awarded First Prize, Audience Prize, and the Special Jury Prize at the International Johann-Matthias Sperger Double Bass Competition in Germany. In 2015 she was awarded the Thomas Martin prize for the best performance of a work by Bottesini and second place overall at the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition in Colorado. In 2017 she was awarded the internet-voted prize for audience-favorite finals performance and Honorable Mention overall at the Bradetich Competition in Texas. She had previously been awarded first prize in numerous competitions in Korea, including the Baroque String Ensemble Competition, Haneum National Music Competition, Music Education Journal Competition, and Korea Double Bass Association Competition.

Ms. Sung received her Artist Diploma from The Colburn School's Conservatory of Music in 2017, studying with Peter Lloyd. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor of Music degree from Korea National University of Arts, having entered early as a gifted student after graduating from Sunhwa Arts Middle School.

She participated in master classes given by artists such as Berlin Philharmonic principal bassist Janne Saksala, London Symphony Orchestra principal bassist Rinat Ibragimov, former Staatskapelle Berlin principal bassist Klaus Trumpf, Guarneri String Quartet violinist Arnold Steinhardt, pedagogue and cello soloist Hans Jørgen Jensen, and Beaux Arts Trio and former Cincinnati Symphony principal cellist Peter Wiley.

Ms. Sung's debut album, "The Colburn Sessions", has been featured on nearly 100 radio stations worldwide and received glowing reviews from publications such as Strings Magazine, Bass World, Bass Magazine, Fanfare, American Record Guide, HiFi News and Record Review, Classics Today, Classical Candor, Violinist.com, Textura, and The Whole Note. Her performances have also been recognized online by publications such as The Strad and Classic FM.