Addison Teng

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Biography

     Violinist Addison Teng 鄧丞修 is an internationally sought-after performer and teacher. He has given solo and chamber music performances across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Teng is a founding member of the Fulton Chamber Players, who recently made their debut performance at Newport Classical in Rhode Island, and has played with the Grant Park Orchestra in Chicago. He has performed as soloist with the Concord Chamber Players, Sea Coast Symphony, Dana Point Symphony, and Oberlin College Orchestra. Teng is the president and founder of the nonprofit Fulton Music Society. Previously he served as Teaching Assistant at the Meadowmount School of Music and Northwestern University, assisting Sally Thomas, Amy Barlowe, and Roland and Almita Vamos. He received the 2018 Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Oberlin College and Conservatory, a Distinguished Alumnus of the Meadowmount School of Music, is listed in Who’s Who in America, and has been featured in publications globally.

• Was there any specific moment that influenced you to pursue a career in music?

  I started playing the violin when I was seven, but I didn’t realize that I wanted to devote my career to music until I was sixteen. My first teacher at the Meadowmount School of Music, Amy Barlowe, recognized that I had a talent for teaching and made me her teaching assistant at seventeen. I was the youngest teaching assistant in Meadowmount’s history, but I trusted that my teachers understood what I was capable of.

  After that, I became a teaching assistant to Sally Thomas, both at Meadowmount and during the school year in New York City. She taught me a great deal about pedagogy and how to nurture each student’s unique gifts in the most effective way.

• Do you have a favourite piece or a composer?

  Whenever I am asked this question, my answer is, “Whatever piece I am working on!” It is important to like all the composers and works you are performing so that the audience can feel your sincerity.

  I am often preparing several different programs at any given time, and I always try to find a lens of appreciation for each one. As a musician, it is essential to learn how to be a chameleon and adapt to different pieces and styles.

• Which performance are you most proud of or resonates with you the most?

  My most meaningful concert is always my most recent one. There is always something new to learn about yourself, your playing, and the pieces in performance. Each concert offers an opportunity to gain fresh and exciting insights.

• Which musician do you like the most, or are you most influenced by?

  I am influenced by a wide range of violinists, especially the greats of older generations such as David Oistrakh, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, and Zino Francescatti, as well as current soloists like James Ehnes, Alena Baeva, and Karen Gomyo. Each of them has a distinct individual voice, which I believe is rare to find in musicians.

• What do you do offstage that inspires your musical artistry onstage?

  Food and cooking are my main non-musical inspirations. I love exploring unique combinations of flavors and experimenting with the limitless possibilities of creating a great dish. Executing a perfect piece of fish or meat requires a similar level of dedication, practice, observation, skill, and sensitivity as shaping a perfect musical phrase.

• Do you have any unique practice techniques or routines?

  I practice in “50-minute hours.” It is important to take 10 minutes at the end of each hour to process what you have accomplished and make plans for what you will practice next time. I also always take a nap before concerts.

• Are there any exciting performances you’ve planned?

  My chamber ensemble, the Fulton Chamber Players, will be making our debut in Singapore in early April in collaboration with several members of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. We will also be returning to the national concert halls of Taiwan for our third tour in December 2026.

• What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far and how did you overcome it?

  My greatest challenges have been learning to overcome teachers and peers who didn’t believe in me. Of course, it is a student’s responsibility to take in corrections and suggestions from teachers, but I had to learn to trust my own instincts and the support of those who believed in me when others said I would never succeed in the music field.

  Teachers like Amy Barlowe and Sally Thomas saw my potential and taught me that the noise does not matter. Keep your blinders on, continue to work hard, and work smart.

• What's the weirdest or silliest thing you've done while practicing?

  I’ve taught myself to talk and sing while I play. It’s a very efficient skill for teaching and rehearsing chamber music. My colleagues and students often find it surprising.

• What’s the one thing we’re not talking about in the classical music industry that you really feel we should be?

  I feel that we are losing our individuality as artists. With the constant pressure to be technically perfect in this era of recordings and social media, we risk losing the value of unique voices and personal interpretations. I would much rather hear a performance that is not technically flawless but carries a clear point of view than one that is technically perfect and sounds like everyone else.

• What advice would you give to young or aspiring musicians?

  I would pass along some of the same advice that I was given: ignore the noise, put your blinders on, and do good work.

• What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?

  Classical music performances can take place anywhere, from a concert hall to a brewery lawn, an art museum, or even an orphanage. Four walls and a ceiling are often optional; all you truly need is a place to stand or sit, and perhaps a few chairs to keep the audience comfortable!

  We must bring music to the people before we can expect people to make the effort to come to us.

• Do you have a favorite or a dream concert venue to perform in?

  My dream venues are Wigmore Hall in London and Rudolfinum in Prague.

• What do you think is the most important goal when introducing music to children?

  The most important thing for students to learn is how to be open. This applies to any field. We must allow students to be exposed to different ideas and avoid adhering too rigidly to one way of doing things. They need to be flexible and genuinely willing to try new techniques, interpretations, and ways of thinking.

• How do you keep young students motivated to practice, especially when they face difficulties?

  I think it is vital for teachers to take the time to truly get to know their students. They are human beings beyond simply being music students. Talk with them so you can understand their frustrations and challenges, and help guide them through those difficulties before they become overwhelming.