Haerim (Liz) Lee

Korean violinist, Haerim Elizabeth Lee captivates audiences by “leaving them breathless with impeccable phrasing and relevant musicality.” (El Norte, Mexico). Elizabeth has developed a playing style indicative of the very essence of her personality: passionate and deliberate. In 2015, Ms. Lee performed as the concertmaster with Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center Honors concert in Washington, D.C. to recognize Maestro Seiji Ozawa, which was attended by former President Barack Obama. Following her solo debut with orchestra at nine years old, she has been a guest soloist with the Winston-Salem Symphony, Symphony of the Mountains, Orquesta Sinfonica de la Unal, Seoul Virtuosi, Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra and Filharmonie Bohuslava Martinu. As a performing artist and scholar, Ms. Lee has established herself as a visionary and was the first recipient of the Tarisio Young Artist Grant as the Artistic Director of MoKo Musik for promotion and commission of Korean music. She is also the Co-Artistic Director of the Innsbrook Institute in Missouri.

Performing within the intimate setting of chamber music, one of Ms. Lee’s most cherished experiences, has enabled her to collaborate with world-renowned artists such as Robert McDuffie, Stephan Picard Barry Shiffman, David Halen, Christopher Rex, and Todd Palmer.  Elizabeth has participated in numerous music festivals including Prussia Cove International Music Seminar, Banff Centre, Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, Heifetz International Music Festival, Spoleto Music Festival USA, Schleswig-Holestein Musik Festival, and Sarasota Music Festival.

Ms. Lee possesses a progressive philosophy when it comes to exploring and premiering works by living composers.  She has worked with Thomas Adès and has performed the Canadian premiere of Bright Sheng’s piano quintet at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Ms. Lee has performed the North American premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Double Bind?  Her deep-rooted love for collaboration has resulted in some innovative relationships with complementary but also unconventional art forms such as exhibits with the Boston Architecture School and performances with choreographers and dancers. Ms. Lee immigrated from Deajeon, South Korea, at the age of eight to pursue scholarship in music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.  She went on to obtain her Bachelor of Arts from the New England Conservatory and, subsequently, her Masters in Music from Rice University Shepherd School of Music. While pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Michigan, Elizabeth was profoundly inspired by her experiences abroad at the Paris Conservatoire.

Elizabeth’s debut album, My Time is Now, is the first ever recording to feature George Gershwin’s recently restored Steinway piano from his New York apartment.  Inspired by George Gershwin’s quote, “My people are American, my time is today. Music must repeat the thought and aspirations of the times,” she has taken this opportunity to juxtapose classical works by Gershwin with contemporary works by living composers and collaborators.  The album will be out on INNOVA label in fall of 2019.

Recording- “My Time Is Now”- Innova Label

Co-Artistic Director- Innsbrook Music and Academy

Artistic Director of MoKo Musik