LAURENCE LESSER

First Name:

Edwin Dong-Oo

Last Name:

Lee

City:

Seoul

Country:

Republic of Korea

First Year:

1978

Last Year:

1981

Birthday:

10/7/1956

About:

ARTIST PROFILE DONG-OO LEE / CELLIST Born of Korean heritage in the United States, cellist Dong-Oo Lee is recognized today as one of Korea's most versatile musicians as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, educator, conductor, and composer. After 18 years as the Principal Solo Cellist of the KBS Symphony Orchestra (Korea's National Symphony Orchestra) in 2000 he was appointed the Professor of Cello at the University of Ulsan, College of Music. It was in 2002 he created and continues to serve as Artistic Music Director of the Korea Cello Research Institute, an organization that provides performances and educational services to students throughout the Republic. As of recent, in 2014 he was appointed as Music Director of the U.S.P. Chamber Orchestra which is funded by a cultural arts grant from the University of Ulsan and the Hyundai Heavy Industries Company. In Korea, as an active chamber musician, he has served as the solo cellist of the Seoul Baroque Ensemble, May Piano Quartet, Gallery Chamber Players and the Koreana Chamber Society. As a soloist and chamber musician, Mr. Lee has performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia. His studies in music began at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music Preparatory School and the University of New Mexico, College of Fine Arts. In 1980, he graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music. It was in 1989 he was selected into the Kharkov National Conservatory of Music and the elite Kharkov Philharmonic Institute of Music of International Studies where he received his Master of Music. In 1997, he was granted an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Kharkov Philharmonic Institute for his distinguished performances and recordings with famed Russian conductor, Vakhtang Jordania and recognition for his continuing work as one of the world's leading concert anthologist of the cello repertory. Mr. Lee has collaborated with many world renowned cellists/artists, including Joanna de Keyser, Gabor Rejto, Laurence Lesser, Lesile Parnas, Leonard Rose and Vladimir Krugliakov. His cello studio studies and master class participations have also been with famed artists/teachers such as Frank Miller, Zara Nelosva, Lazlo Varga, Janos Starker and Raya Gabousova. In the realm of chamber music he has worked with the great legends of our times of the likes of Kolisch, Krasner, Lehner, Shure, Gingold, Adam, Hillyer, Lincer and Galimir. He has had the rare opportunity to personally work and perform with world acclaimed composers/conductors like Copland, Bernstein, Ozawa, Schuller, Foss, Menotti, Hovhaness and Penderecki. From 1981 to 1983, he was a member of the Laurentian String Quartet and was an Artist-in-Resident at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. In 1981, the Quartet made its Carnegie Hall debut as the winner of the "Artist International's Ninth Annual Young Musicians Chamber Award". In 1982, the Quartet made its second appearance at Carnegie Recital Hall, as the winner of the New York Concert Artist "East-West" Competition. The Quartet gained its reputation in concertizing modern works and conducted seminars on university campuses throughout the United States. Through recommendations the Quartet became participants in "Young Audiences" by the famed New York Metropolitan operatic star Beverly Sills who founded and coordinated a special music education program in the New York City Public School System. He has also been the recipient of several of America's most prestigious fellowships and awards, including the Aspen Music Festival "Jorge Mester" Fellowship in 1974, the "Tanglewood Fellowship" from the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1976 and 1977, the International Round Top Festival in 1977, the 1979 "Piatigorsky Fellowship Prize" from the Volpe Foundation, and in 1981, the "Pablo Casals Memorial Award" from the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library Society. In Korea, as the solo cellist of the Seoul Baroque Ensemble, he was awarded "Musician's of the Year" in 1989, given by the Dong-Ah News Press. In 1996, he was honored by the Music Association of Korea as "Musician of the Year". Since 1988, Mr. Lee has been an active member of the American Cello Council, also receiving an invitation from M. Rostropovich to represent the Republic of Korea to the "First World Cello Congress" in Washington D.C., in 1990, at the "Fourth American Cello Congress" and the 2003 "Seventh American Cello Congress" in Tempe/Phoenix Arizona. In 2000, he was a founding member of the Korean Cello Association whose membership includes many of Korea's leading concert musicians and professors. It was in 2002, Mr. Lee celebrated a milestone in his 30 year concert career through a tour of Ukraine and Russia performing the complete solo cello works of Tchaikovsky. With Maestro Jordania he performed with the Kharkov National Orchestra of Ukraine. Kiev Imperial Chamber Orchestra, and the Russian Federal Orchestra in Moscow where he recorded his CD in Tchaikovsky Hall. He was invited back in 2003 by Maestro Jordania to Kharkov performing Schumann’s Cello Concerto and Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante. Over the past years, Mr. Lee has been an instructor of cello and chamber music at the Seoul National University and Ewha Women's University. In 1991, he was appointed by Lord Yehudi Menuhin to be the Cello Professor and Korean Advisor of the "Asian Youth Orchestra", teaching the finest talent from all parts of Asia. As a performing artist and academic, his work "Musical Encounters" (a version of "Music without Borders") has been successfully recognized in building bridges of cultural friendship both educationally and socially. He has been invited to perform and conduct cello and chamber music classes at the Aso Music Festival in Koumamoto, Japan, University of Singapore, Hong Kong Academy of Music, University of New Mexico, Kansas University, University of Southern Illinois, Pyongyang National Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri-Kansas City, McGill University, Boston University, University of Miami of Ohio, Longy School of Music, Westminister College, Chiang Mai National University, Payup University, University of Rhode Island, Brigham Young University of Hawaii, University of Connecticut in Storrs, Nanyang University in Singapore and the Issang Yun Institute of Music. On more of an interesting note in Mr. Lee's career, in 2003 he was the first cello professor from the "South" (Republic of Korea) to be invited to the Fourth April Spring Arts Festival in Pyongyang, North Korea (People's Democratic Republic of Korea) performing with the Pyongyang National Conservatory of Music Orchestra. During this visit he observed and conducted informal cello classes with the students at the Conservatory. He repeated this historic visit in 2004 and 2006 returning to Pyongyang as a guest artist/soloist with the Choson Philharmonic Orchestra (the National Symphony of the D.P.R.K.). In April of 2010, Mr. Lee was a guest artist with the Issang Yun Modern Arts Orchestra of Pyonyang performing the complete cello works of the late renowned composer Issang Yun. In the 2004 STRAD INTERNATIONAL, January Issue (music journal), he was selected as a contributing writer of "Homeland Revisited" presenting his professional experiences as a teacher in Korea. Recently in 2006, he and his wife/pianist Mi-Young Jeon embarked on a unique but special direction in music as "missionaries" of culture and education. The project titled "Musical Encounters" took them to Chiang Mai, Thailand where they concertized, lectured, and presented master classes at Payap University, Dara Academy, Chiang Mai University of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai National University, and the Rajabhat University of Education. Since then, "Musical Encounters" has become Mr. Lee's yearly work engine for international concerts, lectures, and master classes throughout Asia and North America. It was in 2002 Mr. Lee, in collaboration with the University of Ulsan, College of Music and the Ulsan Cello Society, founded the Korea Research Cello Institute. The institute's original aim was to provide extra intensive studies during the winter and summer breaks for cello students of all ages here in the Republic. Now, the institute has grown into a full size festival and academy (instrumental, chamber and orchestral studies). Thus, it has been retitled as the Korea Philharmonic Institute. Over the years the institute has invited internationally acclaimed artists and renowned academics such as Young-Chang Cho, Antonio Meneses, Joanna de Keyser, Maria Hallayak, Taki Atsumi, Lesile Parnas, Howard Goldstein, Carter Enyeart, Emilio Colon, Terry King, Jeffrey Solow, Masanori Tanaguchi, Jung-Shim Baik and Suren Bagratuni. Also since 1983 he has gained an outstanding reputation with his wife/pianist Professor Mi-Young Jeon, as one of Korea's leading concert duo's. As a concert duo, they have performed annually since 1983 throughout Korea and the United States. It was in 1993 they made their European debut concert at the "Cello Festival" at the International Kammermusk-Akademie in Kronberg, Germany. Mr. Lee has made recording appearances for American National Public Radio (N.P.R.); Musical Heritage Society (M.H.S.); N.H.K. Radio FM in Tokyo, Japan, "Cantabile" (Seoul Record Company); K.B.S. Radio FM "Korean Musicians of the 20th. Century" CD Series in Seoul, Korea; "CHEIL" (Audio Communications); Samsung "NICES"; "SONY" "World Classic's"; "KOCH" (International Classic's) and "ANGELOK". In 2015, Mr. Lee was appointed Music Director of the U.S.P. (Ulsan Sinfonia Players) Chamber Orchestra which was founded in 2008 under the sponsorship of the HYUNDAI HEAVEY INDUSTRIES COMPANY and the Trustee’s of University of Ulsan. It’s purpose is two fold: One, as a professional ensemble is to enhance the cultural life in bringing world class concerts to the city of Ulsan and musical prominence to the Republic of Korea. Two, Instill the traditional European style of ensemble training, whereas the ensemble is a collaboration of “master” (professor’s) and “apprentice” (graduate’s) environment. Over the past thirty years, he has performed and recorded on three Italian cellos by the master makers of Gioffredo Cappa, dated 1681, Carlo Giuseppe Testore, dated 1700. and currently, his principal solo cello is a rare instrument dated 1801, by the master Venetian maker, Giacinto Santagiulianna. Also in his collection is a French cello by the Parisan maker H.C. Silvestre, dated 1890, a modern Italian cello by the Cremonese maker Natale Carletti, dated 1950 and a 2004 presentation cello made by the American maker Kevin March of Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Lee also takes pride in performing on a fine collection of old French bows by the great Parisian masters of the likes of: Dominique Peccatte, Clement Eulry, Francois Nicolas Voirin, Eugene Sartory, Justin Poirson and Charles Husson.

Current Primary Activity(ies):

UNIVERSITY OF ULSAN, Distinguished Professor of Cello & Chair of Chamber Music Studies. USP (Ulsan Sinfonia Players) Chamber Orchestra: Music Director. UCI (Ulsan Cello Institute): Artistic Director. NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY KOREA CELLO ENSEMBLE: Principal member.

Education:

NEC

Degree:

BM

Other Teachers:

Prof. Joanna de Keyser (University of New Mexico). Prof. Gabor Rejto (University of Southern California). Prof. Lesile Parnas (Kneisel Hall). Prof. Leonard Rose (Westchester, N.Y.). Prof. Claus Adams (New York City). Prof. Vladimir Krugalov (Kharkov International Philharmonia Institute).