2023 Radda Rise International Piano Competition
Christina Sung
1st Prize of Category 2
At just 13 years old, Christina Sung has emerged as a prodigious pianist in the world of classical music. She is honing her skills under the expert guidance of Jihea Hong-Park at Brigham Young University. Christina's musical journey is highlighted by her orchestral debut with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall, a prestigious achievement she earned as the winner of the 2022 Salute to Youth Competition.
Since starting lessons at 8.5 years old, Christina has already amassed an array of competition wins that showcase her exceptional talent over the course of 5 years. Recently, she triumphed in the 2024 Emory Young Artist Piano Competition with 1st prize as well as the MTNA Southwest Division Competition, securing a place in the 2024 National Finals in Atlanta, Georgia, this March. Additionally, she claimed victory in the 2023 Walgreens® National Concerto Competition. These accomplishments are further complemented by her first-place wins in several other prominent competitions. In 2023, she excelled in the International Keyboard Odyssiad® Concerto Competition, the Paderewski International Piano Competition, and the Medici International Music Competition. Her skills also earned her the Ebony Prize at the 2023 MTNA National Finals, following successes at the 2023 Southwest Division and the 2022 MTNA State level. Moreover, she garnered top honors in the 2023 ENKOR International Piano Competition and the 2023 International Keyboard Odyssiad® Solo Competition.
Her record of first-place finishes extends to the 2023 UMTA Concerto Competition, the 2023 BYU Piano Competition, the 2023 Ogden Piano Festival Concerto Competition, the 2022 University of Utah Summer Arts Piano Competition in both the Solo and Concerto divisions, and the 2021 OPUS State Music Competition. As a result of winning the BYU Piano Competition, Christina’s performances and interview were showcased on Classical 89 FM radio, and she was featured as a young prodigy pianist on the ABC4 television show. Christina's excellence has led to opportunities to perform as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Utah Symphony, the American West Symphony, the Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra Ogden, and the Utah Philharmonic Orchestra.
In recognition of her dedication to community service through music, Christina was awarded the Gold Medal Prize of the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2022 and 2023. Outside of music, she is fluent in four languages and enjoys figure skating in her leisure time.