Photo by Christian Steiner
"The Mason & Hamlin is a magnificent piano, an exquisite instrument that encompasses an incredible palette of power, tone, color and control. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Mason & Hamlin is the consistency of touch and sound across the full spectrum of the keyboard. Many pianos may feature rich basses but poor trebles; others shine in the mid-range of the keyboard. But with the Mason & Hamlin, I can depend on its impeccable response and beauty of tone no matter where the music takes me across the keys, freeing me to shape and shade each note with the widest range of expression." - Hugh Sung
The newest member of Mason & Hamlin's prestigious Artist Roster is Pianist Hugh Sung, who has been an active soloist and chamber musician ever since his debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 11. Two years after his debut, he was accepted for studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, where his principal teachers included Eleanor Sokoloff, Jorge Bolet, and Seymour Lipkin, along with Karen Tuttle and Felix Galimir for chamber music.
Throughout his studies and subsequent to graduating with a Bachelor of Music, Sung has performed in major cities throughout the Americas, England, Canada, South Africa, Japan, and Korea. Mr. Sung has been presented at some of the world's most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Wigmore Hall, The National Gallery of Art, and The Ravinia Festival. He has made several guest appearances at radio stations throughout New York City, Rochester, Philadelphia, and New Zealand, and was featured on NPR's nationally syndicated "Performance Today" performing works by Clementi, Ravel, and Mussorgksy. His concerto engagements have included performances with the Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, annual appearances with the Masterworks Festival Orchestras since 1998, and extensive tours with the South Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, he was presented on Japanese National Television NHK in collaboration with violinist Aaron Rosand during a recital in the esteemed Ouji Hall in the Ginza district of Tokyo.
In addition to his solo endeavors, Sung has continued to receive critical acclaim for his work as an ensemble musician. He has been featured in the Philadelphia Orchestra's Chamber Music series, and has also collaborated with such distinguished groups and artists as The American Quartet, the Diaz Trio, Jeffrey Khaner, Julius Baker, Hilary Hahn, Leila Josefowicz, composers Jennifer Higdon, Robert Maggio, Harold Boatrite, and violinist Aaron Rosand, with whom he has recorded extensively under the Biddulph and Vox labels. His work can also be heard under the I Virtuosi, CRI, and Avie labels.
In 1993, Sung joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music, and currently serves as its Director of Instrumental Accompaniment and its world-renowned Student Recitals Series.
Sung is one of the founders of AirTurn, Inc. (www.AirTurn.com), a company that develops innovative technologies for musicians. He also maintains an active website (www.HughSung.com) and is the chief editor of AirTurn's Blog (http://AirTurn.com/blog), both of which combine his love of music and passion for technology, and serves as rich resources for musicians looking for a friendly place to learn more about adopting technology to enhance their art and lifestyle. He is an early adopter of technologies like the Tablet PC, which has enabled him to completely convert his paper music library into a digital format, and innovative new performance presentations like the Visual Recital (www.VisualRecital.com), which combines images, animation, and video clips in a live recital setting fully synchronized and controlled by the musician. Sample music and video clips can be found both on his website, his YouTube channel (http://YouTube.com/hughsung), and on his profile at MySpace.com (www.myspace.com/hughsung).
Mr. Sung also recently filmed a High Definition video for PianoDisc in collaboration with violinist Maurice Sklar.
"We're very proud to welcome Hugh Sung to the Mason & Hamlin and PianoDisc Artist rosters," commented Director of Music/Artist Relations Jan Glazier. "Not only is he an extraordinary performer and teacher, and one of the most sought-after collaborators in Classical music, but he's also a passionate advocate for the use of technologies to enhance the art and lifestyles of musicians. In every way he is the Modern Musician, who both respects the centuries of musical tradition but also embraces the future and what technology will bring. He very much embodies the philosphies of our two companies."