Pianist Lee Gonghee, renowned for her ability to deeply connect with audiences through her performances, is a native of Seoul, South Korea. She graduated from Sunhwa Arts Middle School and Sunhwa Arts High School, and went on to earn both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Sookmyung Women’s University’s College of Music on a full scholarship.
After completing her studies at Sookmyung Women’s University, Lee continued her education in Germany, where she graduated with top honors from Hochschule für Kunst Bremen, earning both her Diplom and Konzertexamen degrees.
During her studies abroad, Lee garnered numerous awards in international competitions, including 3rd place at the IBLA International Grand Prize in Italy, 4th place at the Bremen Förder-Preise competition in Germany, and 2nd place at the Korea-Germany Brahms Society competition, among others. These accomplishments helped establish her as a dedicated and consistent performer. She began her concert career with a performance at the Brahms Museum in Hamburg, Germany, and has since actively participated in performances at prestigious festivals such as ‘PIANO PODIUM’ and ‘Weidener MAX REGER TAGE’.
Lee has also performed at the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi, further expanding her international presence. She has collaborated with major orchestras such as the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Bremerhaven National Orchestra, Turkey’s Bodrum and Izmir National Orchestras, Jeonju Symphony Orchestra, Siheung Chamber Orchestra, Johann Strauss Chamber Orchestra, Sorial Orchestra, and the Oltenia Orchestra of Romania.
In addition to her performance career, Lee is a dedicated educator and an active member of several academic societies, including the Korean Piano Society, the Korean Liszt Society, and Seonhwa Piano Society. She has served as a jury member for various competitions, such as the Eumyeon Competition, Korean Liszt Society Competition, Student Music Federation Competition, and Muse Competition, among others. She is also regularly invited to teach at masterclasses and music camps.
One of her unique achievements includes her involvement in the development of piano instruments. She participated in the process of evaluating and improving piano designs from a professional performer’s perspective. As a result, she was invited to perform at the Shanghai International Music Instrument Expo as a product reviewer for the HDC Young Chang <Weber>and Kurzweil <Artis>pianos alongside the world-renowned piano function-tone-pedal etc. Delwin D. Fandrich.
Furthermore, Lee collaborated with oboist and National Lux International Research Institute leader Philip-Ha (Ha Soo-Ho) to release the album Astor Piazzolla Histoire Du Tango. Since May 2017, she has also been performing as a music therapy player for “Blood Type Music Therapy” on the show “Metox Show” hosted by Dr. Seo Jae-Gul. Lee continues to broaden her musical scope through constant effort and a diverse range of experiences.
Lee Gonghee has taught at Sookmyung Women’s University, Sejong University Graduate School of Performing Arts, Incheon JEI University, Sunhwa Music Talent Academy, Sunhwa Arts Middle and High School and various other institutions. She has also served as adjunct professor at Kangnam University’s German Weimar Music Department, team leader at GangNeung-Wonju National University’s Industry-Academic Cooperation Group and an adjunct professor, guest professor at the Graduate School of Music at Suwon University. Currently, she holds directorial positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-International Cultural Development Research Institute and teaches at Catholic University, and Deokwon Art High School.
As a passionate and talented educator, she is recognized for her ability to build a unique musical domain and inspire the next generation of musicians.
