The Grand Final of the ABC Young Performers Awards was held on 24 July 2018 in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

Emily was named the winner after her masterful performance of Beethoven’s monumental Violin Concerto in D accompanied by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Milton. The concert also included thrilling performances from two other Finalists, Oliver Shermacher (NSW) performing the Weber Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor and Kevin Chow (VIC) performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

The ABC Young Performer of the Year wins:

• $50,000 AETT Scholarship: A scholarship to study overseas presented by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust
• $30,000 Sheila Walker Scholarship: a cash grant to assist with a programme of study or musical activity sponsored by Mr David Walker
• They also become the ABC Classic FM Artist in Residence and will have the opportunity to record an album at the ABC, guided by the expertise of its specialist music production team; and
• A limited-edition Drago Marin Cherina bronze trophy. Presented by Music & Opera Singers Trust.

Emily also won:
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Prize – a professional engagement for a performance with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Prize – a professional engagement for a performance wIth the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Prize – An opportunity for a professional engagement with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Recital Centre Prize – An opportunity for a finalist to appear at the Melbourne Recital Centre in 2018 or 2019
The UKARIA Recital Prize – an opportunity to perform a recital in the UKARIA Cultural Centre, Adelaide Hills
The City Recital Hall Prize – An opportunity to perform a solo recital as part of City Recital Hall’s A Little Lunch Music Series
The YMF Award for Best Recital – a total award of $25,000 for best Recital at the Semi Finals

The 2018 ABC Young Performers Awards Finals Concert Online Programme

‘Possessed of a superb talent’ (The Advertiser), with ‘a perfect balance of expressivity and formidable strength’ (The Australian), violinist Emily Sun is in demand internationally for her compelling and captivating interpretations of both new and classic repertoire. Her impressive versatility as soloist, chamber musician and recitalist and genuine connection with her audiences allows Emily to perform with leading orchestras and festivals across Europe, the USA, Asia and Australasia.

A multi international prize winner, Emily was awarded the Tagore Gold Medal from the Royal College of Music, presented to her by HRH Prince of Wales. She won the 2018 ABC Young Performers Award (Australia), and the 2016 Royal Overseas League Commonwealth Musician of the Year (UK), and international competition prizes at Brahms International Violin Competition (Austria), Yampolsky International Violin Competition (Russia), Bromsgrove International Music Competition (UK), and Lipizer International Violin Competition (Italy). She was a Young Concert Artist for the Tillett Trust, The Worshipful Company of Musicians and City Music Foundation.

Emily has performed in major concert venues including Sydney Opera House, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, Tchaikovsky Great Hall Moscow, Auditorium du Louvre Paris, and Flagey Brussels. She 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.

As a concerto soloist, Emily has appeared with orchestras worldwide including the Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Tasmanian Symphony, Queensland Symphony and Canberra Symphony Orchestras in Australia; Arlington Symphony, Arizona Symphony and Garland Symphony Orchestras in USA; Shanghai Youth Orchestra and Qingdao Symphony Orchestra in China; European Union Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Royal Wallonie and Orchestre de Chambre Namur in Europe.

An active chamber musician, Emily has collaborated with musicians such as Maxim Vengerov, Gary Hoffman, Miguel da Silva, Marc Coppey, Danny Driver, Gemma Rosefield and is regularly invited to perform at music festivals across Europe.

As a teen, Emily shot to national fame after being featured in the acclaimed award-winning Australian documentary ‘Mrs Carey’s Concert’. Her media presence continues as the ABC Artist-in-Residence, BBC Introducing Artist, with regular broadcast on Classic FM, BBC Three (UK), Kol Hamusica (Israel), WXQR (USA), and Musiq 3 (Belgium).

Emily studied with Dr Robin Wilson at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Itzhak Rashkovsky at the Royal College of Music, London, Augustin Dumay at Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth, Belgium, and received further mentoring from Pinchas Zukerman, Maxim Vengerov and Ivry Gitlis. She currently teaches at the Royal College of Music, London.

Emily plays a 1760 Nicolo Gagliano violin, kindly loaned to her through the Beare’s International Violin Society.

*bio updated 2020.