When I first set foot on campus in August of 2007, I was star struck with the idea of studying music at a collegiate level. Visions of old, graying professors who sat in their offices sipping tea and listening to Beethoven filled my mind. These visions proved to be pure imagination upon day one of classes, and even more so the first time I met Ellen and eventually her sisters.
Ellen Jung, or “Teacher” as I affectionately call her, was also new to Vanguard at the time, as she had just been hired as the new private violin instructor. As silly as it sounds, I expected a scowling old lady who would allow me to speak only when spoken to. Instead, I got a soft-spoken Korean woman who doesn’t look much older than myself. It took a few weeks to adjust to her teaching style, but it was evident that the decision to study with her was something I would not regret.
It has been more than two years since my first lesson with Teacher, and to say that she has treated me with respect and patience would be an understatement. It is refreshing to take lessons from an instructor that shows me how she would do things but also encourages me to interpret the music to my liking (granted, her method is usually the most efficient).
Throughout my lessons, however, I had always wondered what Ellen was capable of in her own right. She prefers not to make a big deal of herself, and most of our time together involves me sawing away and her correcting as I go. It wasn’t until April 5th of this year that I got my wish to hear her and her sisters perform live and really display what they can do.
The setting was Needham Chapel; the occasion was a benefit concert for the organization known as “Friends of Music”. The event featured several small ensembles comprised of students and faculty, and all were superb. Finally, as the evening began to draw to a close, the Jung Trio, consisting of sisters Jennie on piano, Julie on cello, and my Teacher on violin, took the stage. I expected the performance to be good – after all, how bad can a performance be from a trio whose members hold degrees from such prestigious music colleges as Yale School of Music, New England Conservatory, and Juilliard?
What I heard that evening surpassed all expectations.
While their demeanor onstage is one of cool professionalism, the Jung Trio’s sound brims with expression and fervor. As an ensemble, they do more than simply stay in time with one another – it’s as if they’re reading each other’s minds. It is also obvious that the girls have each spent years carefully honing their technique, as any technical difficulties of the music are navigated effortlessly. Whether they’re tearing through a blistering fast section or forcing their audience to lean forward during whisper-quiet pianissimos, each piece is interpreted with wise efficiency.
After I collected my jaw off the floor, I left that April 5th performance with one phrase on my mind: “I’m taking lessons from that?!”
And so the lessons have continued in fresh, exciting ways here at Vanguard. As of this semester, cellist Julie has been hired as the new cello instructor on campus, thus establishing the Jung Trio in an Artist-In-Residency program. Aside from teaching privately and holding adjunct professorial positions, the Jungs have also taken command of Vanguard’s chamber music consortium – an area of music that is their specialty. Each sister meets weekly with student ensembles to coach them in preparation for their biannual chamber recitals, the first of which is to be held on November 19th in Needham Chapel.
The student response to the presence of the Jungs has been overwhelmingly positive. String players in particular (myself included) are highly enthusiastic about the opportunity to study under world-class performers. With chamber music now becoming a heavily encouraged area of study for instrumental music majors, it seems that this enthusiasm will only continue as students grow under the tutelage of the Jung Trio.
If you would like to catch Jennie, Ellen, and Julie in action, come out and support breast cancer awareness at the Jung Trio’s 2nd annual benefit concert for Susan G. Komen for the cure. The concert is on Sunday, October 25th, begins at 7:00 PM, and will be held just down the way at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. Tickets are $20 for general admission, and $10 for students. The trio is also offering a special $5 deal to Vanguard students if tickets are purchased in advance. All proceeds will go to the Komen Foundation.
For more detailed information regarding the October 25th concert or the Trio itself, please visit www.jungtrio.com.