Biography of James Lee

About the Artist

James Lee was born in the San Francisco bay area where he made his debut with the San Francisco Symphony at the age of 15. He received his Bachelor's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and, in 1985, earned his Master's degree from the Juilliard School. That same year, he became a member of the National Symphony Orchestra. At Juilliard, Mr. Lee served as principal cellist of both the Juilliard Orchestra and the Juilliard Chamber Orchestra. As a winner of the prestigious Juilliard Cello Competition, he was a featured soloist at Alice Tully Hall. Mr. Lee's teachers have included Margaret Rowell, Bonnie Hampton, Leonard Rose, and Joel Krosnick.

Mr. Lee appeared as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra in the1988 world premiere of Andres Makris' Concertante, led by Mstislav Rostropovich. A devoted chamber musician, Mr. Lee is a founding member of the National String Quartet, appearing at venues such as the Phillips Gallery, Cosmos Club, Meridian House, and the Kennedy Center.

November 2007