A Language of Love: Violinist Jing Sun’s Mission to Make Music a Human Bridge

Written by Tom White

When audiences step into a concert hall where Jing Sun performs, they are often met with more than virtuosic technique—they experience an emotional journey. For Jing, music is more than an art form; it’s a language of love, healing, and human connection. From her early musical training in China to her advanced degrees at Boston University, Jing has built a cross-continental career that bridges cultures, generations, and genres. Yet among her many achievements, one project stands out as a testament to her vision: the founding of the Love Forever Recital at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing in 2019.

The Love Forever Recital wasn’t just another event on a concert calendar—it was a statement. “To me, music is inseparable from love,” Jing explains. “Not just romantic love, but a deep, human love—for the world, for life, and for others.” This ethos shaped the curation of the recital, which brought together performers of different ages, backgrounds, and technical levels to present a program that celebrated vulnerability, emotional depth, and connection. In doing so, Jing turned a prestigious venue into a platform for community, catharsis, and cultural expression.

What made Love Forever so impactful was not just the music, but the mission. Jing aimed to show that classical music doesn’t belong only in elite institutions—it belongs to everyone. “ as a founder, I wanted to create an atmosphere where the audience didn’t just listen, but felt with us,” she says. The program included works that explored the full spectrum of emotion: joy, grief, tenderness, and resilience. It resonated widely, not just because of the pieces performed, but because Jing and her fellow musicians played them with palpable sincerity.

This project was not Jing’s first foray into public musical outreach. Between 2017 and 2019, she also spearheaded the Music Melody series of recitals and masterclasses in cities like Beijing and Qingdao. These events were designed to bring high-level classical training and performance experiences to broader audiences, including underserved communities. But Love Forever marked a deeper evolution in Jing’s approach: it wasn't just about accessibility or excellence—it was about expression.

Jing’s ability to balance roles as performer, teacher, and organizer stems from a deep understanding of music as a communicative act. “As a violinist, I see each performance as an opportunity for discovery. Even if it’s the same piece, I find something new because I’m not the same person I was before,” she reflects. Her interpretation of works evolves as she does, drawing on life experiences to enrich her tone, phrasing, and emotional palette. It’s this philosophy that fuels her teaching as well. “Technique is not the end goal,” she says. “It’s the foundation that allows true expression.”

Now based in Boston, where she teaches violin at Brookline Chinese School and serves as Music Vice President for Ledo Interactive in Beijing, Jing continues to build a life that weaves together education, performance, and social impact. She recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance at Boston University, where she also delivered solo and chamber recitals at BU’s Concert Hall and Jordan Hall. Whether she’s performing as concertmaster of the North America Orchestra or mentoring young musicians, her commitment to artistry with purpose remains constant.

This dual focus—on individual artistry and collective empowerment—has also shaped her upcoming projects. Jing is currently developing a new set of violin etudes for beginner and intermediate students that not only address technical development, but also emphasize musicality and emotional interpretation from the start. Alongside this, she is conceptualizing a book that explores the psychological journey of learning an instrument: the self-doubt, the triumphs, the emotional growth.

“I want my students to know that their struggles are part of the process, not signs of failure,” Jing says. “Music teaches responsibility, empathy, and resilience. And those are lessons that extend far beyond the stage.

In an era when music education is too often reduced to competitions and quantifiable outcomes, Jing Sun offers a refreshingly humanistic alternative. Her work reminds us that music is not only about mastery—it’s about meaning. Through initiatives like Love Forever, she is redefining what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century: not just a technician, but a storyteller, a mentor, and above all, a bearer of love.

Photo Credit: Jing Sun