Haerim Elizabeth Lee Artistic Director, Violin
Violinist, Haerim Elizabeth Lee has moved audiences by “Leaving them breathless with an impeccable phrasing and relevant musicality.” (El Norte, Mexico) She is a versatile musician who has performed solo, chamber and orchestra concerts throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. She has appeared as a guest soloist with the Winston-Salem Symphony, SNU Virtuosi, Symphony of the Mountains and Monterrey Symphony Orchestra.
Originally from Deajeon, South Korea, she moved to America when she was eight years old and made her solo debut with rchestra at the age of ten. She has performed in masterclasses with Jamie Laredo, Joseph Silverstein, Pamela Frank, Miriam Fried, Pinchas Zukerman. Ms. Lee 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, Spoleto Music Festival USA, Schleswig-Holestein Musik Festival, and Sarasota Music Festival. Ms. Lee has also performed at Prussia Cove Open Chamber, Rome Chamber Music Festival and Amelia Music Festival. She has collaborated with Robert McDuffie, Barry Shiffman, David Halen, Bright Sheng, Christopher Rex and Todd Palmer.
As an artist, Ms. Lee has a passion for exploring new works and has premiered new compositions and worked closely with composers. She has worked with composers Thomas Adès and Bright Sheng and has performed with Ensemble Linea (France). She is also a member of a contemporary ensemble, Khemia Ensemble (USA). She has recently returned from South America with Khemia Ensemble performing and teaching at the University of Colombia and National University of Cordoba. She also has a deep-rooted love for collaboration among different art forms, including collaborations with the Boston Architecture School and with dancers from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Ms. Lee’s debut album, “My Time is Now: Music for Violin and Piano Inspired by the Gershwins” in 2016.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree at the New England Conservatory with James Buswell and Masters in Music from Rice University Shepherd School of Music with Cho-liang Lin as a Dorthy Starling Scholar. She has studied at Paris Conservatory and now is currently working on her Doctorate of Music Degree at the University of Michigan with David Halen.
Binna Kim Composer-in-Residence
Binna Kim is a composer, pianist, and clarinetist from Seoul, Korea. Her inspirations come from various cultural experiences and from installation art by artists such as Lee Ufan and Sarah Sze. Kim’s pieces are the culmination of her attempt to blend art, and culture and transform it into music. Her work has been performed in the United States, South Korea, Germany and France by various ensembles, including the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Half Stick Duo, CMU Contemporary Ensemble and SNU Chamber Ensemble.
Kim was recently named winner of the 2013-14 BMOP composition competition, an orchestral piece which will be premiered in March of 2014 under the direction of Gil Rose. In addition, she won the composition competition for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra where her chamber orchestra piece is scheduled to premiere during June of 2014. Other recent honors include winning the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 9th Annual Reading Session, which was conducted by Leonard Slatkin and the award of the orchestra competition at Carnegie Mellon University.
Kim has also attended notable programs such as the Aspen Music Festival, and participated in master classes with Steven Stucky, John Corigliano, John Harbison, Stephen Hartke, and Michael Finnissy.
Kim is currently pursuing her D.M.A. at the New England Conservatory studying with Michael Gandolfi. Also she received her bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University and her master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University where she studied with Leonardo Balada.
Aram Lee, Director of Korean Traditional Music, Daegeum
Korean Daegeum (bamboo flute) player Aram Lee is an innovative performer who frequently collaborates with a wide range of performing artists. He is a member of the jazz ensemble Black String, director of a Korean traditional music ensemble NaMu as well as the music director of the multi-national theater, UnikaJi.
Mr. Lee’s performances have taken him throughout Korea, Japan, France, England, Colombia, Denmark and the United States. He has soloed with the National Orchestra of Traditional Music, and is a winner of the Young Art Frontier National Consul of Arts of Korea, the Young Talent Creative of National Consul of Development of Culture and a winner of the Critic’s Choice in Korea. He is a graduate of the National University of Traditional Music and the National University of the Arts in South Korea.