Canadian violinist Jessica Tong has garnered international acclaim as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, having been described as an "outstanding talent" (Performing Arts in Canada) with "keen sensitivity and receptivity" (Bloomington Herald Times), who "allow[s] us to savour her sense of ardour and intensity, but never at the detriment of her tonal beauty." (ClassiqueInfo France). A recipient of a Canada Council Grant for Musicians and a DAAD scholar, she has been a top prizewinner at the Eckhardt-Gramatté , Toronto Symphony, Canadian Music, and Yellow Springs International Chamber Music Competitions, as well as the recipient of the David Ouchterlony Award for Outstanding Artist.
A devoted chamber musician, Jessica's performances have taken her to Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Merkin Hall, les Invalides in Paris and the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, and led to collaborations with artists such as Pamela Frank, Leon Fleisher, Cho-Liang Lin and members of the Cleveland, Vogler, Brentano and Borromeo Quartets. She has served as the first violinist of the Vinca and Larchmere String Quartets, and held the post of Artist-in-Residence at the University of Evansville and concertmaster of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra in Indiana. Her debut album of chamber works by Stephan Krehl with the Larchmere Quartet and clarinetist Wonkak Kim was released in 2016 by Naxos Records to critical acclaim.
Jessica is also a passionate arts advocate, educator and curator. She has been an Artist-in-Residence for the Perlman Music Program in Florida, the Gorgeous Sounds Program in Oregon and a two-time recipient of the ProQuartet Odyssee Residency Grant in France. She spent over a decade as the Chamber Music Director of the Composers Conference, and has also held positions as Co-Artistic Director for several chamber music workshops including Chamber Music of the Rockies in Colorado, University of Florida’s ChamberFest, and the Harlaxton Music Festival in England. Recent guest masterclasses have included appearances at the University of Toronto, the University of South Carolina, Michigan State University, Longy School of Music at Bard College, Concordia College, and the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. She currently serves as the Associate Professor of Violin at the State University of New York Fredonia, Co-Artistic Director of Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire, and has recently been appointed Artistic Director of Chamber Music Neskowin in Oregon.
A pupil of Pamela Frank, Jessica has also studied with Kathleen Winkler, Donald Weilerstein, and Zhang yun Zhang, and has been mentored as a chamber musician by members of the Alban Berg, Vogler, Artemis, Brentano and Cleveland Quartets. Her ongoing fascination with mind-body connection and its relevance to music performance has also led her to explore the practices of vipassana meditation at the Insight Meditation Society, and complete her yoga teacher certification at the Kripalu Center. Along with performing and teaching, she often leads workshops and masterclasses with high school, university and adult amateur musicians, exploring the art of mindful movement and awareness in instrumental playing.