Biography
Violinist Rhea Chung began her studies at the age of five, and has continued to balance artistic achievement and philanthropy throughout her career. Her performances have ranged from solo engagements with symphony orchestras to benefit concerts for cancer centers, as well as advocating for music education.
At the age of twenty, Ms. Chung made her solo debut with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Ankush Kumar Bahl with the Sibelius Violin Concerto. As a soloist, she has performed at the National Cathedral, Strathmore Music Center, Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, and five times at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Abroad, Ms. Chung has performed in London as part of the 25th Silver Anniversary New Year’s Parade and Festival and in Prague at the Spanish Synagogue. Other international performances have included engagements at St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest and at St. Peterskirche in Vienna.
Ms. Chung’s notable musical collaborations have included performances at the Holton-Arms School with Jonathan Carney and Madeline Adkins, and at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts with Paul Arnold. Through masterclasses and coachings, she has collaborated with Midori, Jaime Laredo, Anne Akiko Meyers, Emerson String Quartet, Ida Kavafian, Desmond Hoebig, Cho-Liang Lin, and Alexander Kerr.
For six summers, Ms. Chung attended the Aspen Music Festival and School. In 2013, she was a recipient of the American Academy of Conducting Orchestral String Fellowship at AMFS. She also participated in the Tanglewood Institute String Quartet Academy.
Through her musical philanthropic efforts, Ms. Chung is committed to sharing her music outside the concert hall. As a bronze donor of the American Cancer Society, she has organized and performed concerts for the ACS and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital. One of her proudest moments was performing a benefit concert in honor of her childhood friend's father at the Washington Golf & Country Club. She has also performed at the Annual Benefit Gala for the Children’s National Medical Center. Ms. Chung has been invited to perform at several anniversary galas including the 10th Anniversary of September 11th at the Baltimore World Trade Center by invitation of the Maryland Governor, the Levine School of Music Annual Gala, and the 125th Anniversary of the Friday Morning Music Club.
As part of a research team for a project with the Center of Performing Arts and Medicine at the Houston Methodist Hospital, Ms. Chung assisted in the experimental research on overuse injuries in the hand and upper extremities for performing artists, particularly elite musicians.
In 2009, Ms. Chung’s article, “A Glimpse Forward: A Voice of the Future: On Competing” was published in Stringendo magazine. Her article focused on the art of individuality in musicianship, encouraging performers to give more of themselves in their music.
Ms. Chung studied with pedagogue Paul Kantor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where she was the recipient of the Eula and David Wintermann Endowed Full Scholarship. Ms. Chung enjoyed the challenge of completing an academic and musical education, as exemplified by her 2016 graduating position on President’s Honor Roll with both a Bachelor of Music degree and Business Minor. She continued to study at Rice, where she graduated with a Master of Music degree and took an Executive MBA for Professionals course in entrepreneurship at the Jones Graduate Business School at Rice. Previous musical mentors have included James Stern of the University of Maryland and Yumi Scott of the Curtis Institute of Music. She plays an 1862 Nicolas Francois Vuillaume and a stamped celebration 1885 James Tubbs bow.
Ms. Chung is also a licensed sailor, and has played the piano since the age of two. She has taught the violin, viola, and piano privately since 2008. Since returning to the D.C. area, Ms. Chung has enjoyed establishing her teaching studio as well as performing frequently with the Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.
