Australian violinist Emily Sun has had an extraordinary start to her career. Winner of the 2018 ABC Young Performer of the Year and many other prizes at major competitions, she has performed everywhere from the Sydney Opera House to Wigmore Hall (and even once at Buckingham Palace), and has been mentored by Augustin Dumay, Pinchas Zukerman, Maxim Vengerov and Ivry Gitlis. But despite all that, she found herself anxious and apprehensive at the thought of recording her debut album.
Emily Sun. Photo © Shin-joong Kim.
“The concept of making a recording is very daunting,” Sun reveals. “It’s like a snapshot of your interpretation at that given time. It’s not fleeting – you are committing to that moment, and that interpretation, and then giving that to the world.”
“But I think it’s a real challenge for self-discovery, actually, and I felt like it was the next step that I really wanted to take . . . [And] just being in the recording studio, I learnt so much from that week. More than if I had spent a whole month practising alone in my room.”
Practising alone in her room...
It’s great to read of a talented artist in these awful Covid times. Just reading the essay and the enthusiasm that Emily shows inspired me. Perhaps we can get through this pandemic and live again.