Classical Music Connections

Featuring

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  Christine Lee

  A Paris Fulbright Fellow recipient, Christine Lee has been noted by the New York Times as a “clear delight.” 

  Bio
  

  Christine Lee

  A Paris Fulbright Fellow recipient, Christine Lee has been noted by the New York Times as a “clear delight.” 

  An avid chamber musician and creative, Christine pursues a wide range of musical projects. Most recently, Christine joins the faculty of the University of Washington School of Music as Artist-in-Residence and has been featured on Seattle’s Classical King FM radio. As soloist, Christine most recently performed with Christian Baldini and the Camellia Symphony. A keen supporter of new music, Christine is part of L’arc Trio, who commissioned a brand-new work entitled “Ominous Machine” by the trail-blazing composer Vivian Fung, and looks forward to performing its world premiere at San Francisco Conservatory Bowes Hall in November 2023. Inspired by rich musical traditions and history, Christine was inspired to pursue studies in Paris and was selected as a Fulbright Fellow, where she studied with the renowned French cellist Michel Strauss. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s from the Juilliard School and her teachers include Bonnie Hampton and Richard Aaron.

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  Alexander Grimes

  Alexander Grimes is the principal viola of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra and a resident artist at the Archipelago Collective Chamber Music Festival on San Juan Island.
  

  Bio
  

  Alexander Grimes

  Alexander Grimes is the principal viola of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra and a resident artist at the Archipelago Collective Chamber Music Festival on San Juan Island.
  

  After graduating from Vanderbilt University under the instruction of Kathryn Plummer he attended New England Conservatory where he studied with acclaimed soloist Dmitri Murrath. A native of Long Island, New York, Alex has performed internationally. His most recent solo appearances have included recitals at The Huberman Project in Tel Aviv, Israel, and at the Accademia Perosi in Biella, Italy. In July 2022 he performed with renowned soloists James Ehnes, Augustine Hadelich, and Noah Bendix-Balgley at the Seattle Chamber Music Society.

  Besides playing the viola, Alex loves to compose music for film and other forms of media. He has recently earned a Masters of Film Scoring at the Berklee College of Music.

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  Jung-Eun Kim

  Jung-Eun Kim is quickly becoming a sought-after pianist both as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative artist. 

  Bio
  

  Jung-Eun Kim

  Jung-Eun Kim is quickly becoming a sought-after pianist both as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative artist. 

  An Osher Foundation Scholar, Jung-Eun is currently completing an Artist Diploma in Piano Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she also received double Master’s degrees in solo piano and chamber music with Yoshikazu Nagai and Jon Nakamatsu. She frequently concertizes in both the Bay Area and beyond. A native of South Korea, she made her solo debut with the Changwon Philharmonic Orchestra at age 11. Since then, she has won several prizes both in the United States and South Korea including the Wideman International Piano Competition and Beethoven Piano Competition in Seoul. Jung-Eun has also been featured on numerous national radio engagements including From the Top, Hawaii Public Radio, and WUSF National Public Radio. As part of the Winners’ Concert at the Chautauqua Music Festival, she performed a solo recital of works from Bach to Rachmaninoff. In the Fall of 2019, she made her San Francisco debut as a winner of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, performing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with conductor Edwin Outwater. Equally captivating as a chamber musician, Jung-Eun and her San Francisco-based L’arc Trio received an InterMusic SF grant, which allowed them to commission a brand-new work titled “Ominous Machine” by Berkeley-based composer Vivian Fung. She and her piano trio, winner of the Barbara Fritz Chamber Award, pursues projects that combine new works and classic pillars of the piano trio repertoire into creative, modern programs. During her studies in the Chamber Music Program at SFCM, Jung-Eun performed alongside artists such as Tessa Lark, Norman Fischer, Ian Swensen, Jean-Michel Fonteneau and David McCarroll. In her free time, Jung-Eun enjoys traveling, exploring new cuisines and reading music with friends.

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  Ji-Yeon Lee

  Ji Yeon Lee, native of South Korea, started playing the violin at the age of four. Ji Yeon is a prize winner of many competitions including Indianapolis Concerto Competition, Cincinnati Arts Association Overture Awards, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Youth Competition, Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and many more.

  Bio
  

  Ji-Yeon Lee

  Ji Yeon Lee, native of South Korea, started playing the violin at the age of four. Ji Yeon is a prize winner of many competitions including Indianapolis Concerto Competition, Cincinnati Arts Association Overture Awards, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Youth Competition, Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and many more.

  Ji Yeon has been an active soloist and chamber musician traveling around the world with her quartet. Polaris Quartet was the gold medalist at 2011 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition Junior division and was featured on several global stages including NPR’s “From the Top”, and the Mozarteum University Salzburg. Ji Yeon took part in many music festivals such as Taipei Music Academy and Festival, Aspen Music Festival, International Great Mountains Music Festival, Banff Music Festival, and Ishikawa Music Academy. Ji Yeon received her Bachelor’s degree from Korea National University of Arts where she studied with Nam Yun Kim and Koichiro Harada and graduated top of her class. She recently graduated with a Master’s Degree at Rice University Shepherd School of Music under the tutelage of Paul Kantor. Ji Yeon is a newly appointed musician of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra starting in the 2022/2023 season.