Jessica Hung

Helen is simply a rare and amazing teacher.  My experiences studying with her have been literally life-changing.  Her enthusiasm and imagination come across at every lesson, and she is skilled at drawing genuine musicianship out of students at any level.  One of her greatest talents is finding a real-life image that captures the essence of a musical idea, speaking straight to the student–so connected for her are music, life, and the human experience that notes and phrases become no longer abstractions, but living things that laugh and cry.  Her own playing conveys this beautifully, but her ability to draw it out of others multiplies her gifts remarkably.  That said, she also possesses a consummate knowledge of the fundamental technical means to help her students achieve great art; her concept of sound production and pitch give each student the indispensible mechanical tools and power to find his own voice.

All of this does not yet touch upon Helen’s greatest gift: her humanity.  Refreshingly free of political bias and self-interest, she devotes herself fully to helping students reach their potential.  Her kindness, humor, intelligence, and uncanny intuition allow her to see the student as both a musician and a person at all times.  She relates to our personal and professional struggles and self-discoveries, and her confidence constanly inspires us and renews our hope.  She is unafraid of speaking the truth, and has made me aware of both talents and flaws that I didn’t know I had.  Her demands are the most challenging and fulfilling to strive for, because to her the development of artistry and personal growth are inseparable.  Helen’s lessons are their own twelve-step program.  She approaches everything with honesty and love, and that is the best kind of influence any teacher can have.

Jessica Hung, 19, of Chicago, began violin studies at age eight and is also a violist.  She served as Co-Concertmaster of the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and Co-Concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago under Daniel Barenboim.  She performed in masterclasses for Pinchas Zukerman, Gil Shaham, Ruggiero Ricci, Zakhar Bron, Mauricio Fuks, Bruno Pasquier, and Atar Arad.

Jessica won scholarship prizes from the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation and Northwestern’s Thaviu String Competition, and top prizes in her division at the MTNA National Competition, the Kingsville International Young Performers Competition, Regional Arts Recognition and Talent Search, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Feinberg Youth Auditions.  She appeared as a soloist with the Kishwaukee Symphony, the University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra, and the Chicago Youth Concert Orchestra.  In 2003, she was invited to give two performances of the Brahms Double Concerto with the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra.  Jessica’s performances led to several re-engagements with the orchestra, with whom she performed the Mendelssohn Concerto in 2004 and the Bach Double Concerto in 2005.  She is slated to perform the Brahms Concerto with the WSO in October 2005.

In viola pursuits, she twice took first prize in her division at the Chicago Viola Society Solo Competition and won the NFMC Wendell Irish Viola Award.  She received a Leche Trust bursary at the 2003 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and Congress.  She has studied viola with Helen Callus of University of California Santa Barbara.

She has studied with Pinchas Zukerman at the National Arts Centre Young Artists Program in Canada, and Gerardo Ribeiro at Northwestern University.  Jessica currently studies with William Preucil at the Cleveland Institute of Music.