https://www.wonkilee.com/
Described by New York Concert Review as “A knockout performance”, classical saxophonist Wonki Lee has distinguished himself as one of leading saxophonists of his generation. Feeling equally at home in traditional and contemporary repertoire, Mr. Lee has won the top prize at Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition. His musical exploration has encompassed fascinations with history of saxophone repertoire and interpreting original works for saxophone with new insights and understandings.
In 2020, Mr. Lee’s debut album American Sonatas was released and became available through major digital distributions. The recording focuses on original works for saxophone written by American Composers. His second album Air – Songs for the Saxophone was released the summer of 2021. This new album showcases beauty and lyricism of the saxophone through well-known classical works. Currently, Mr. Lee is working on projects to record works by Andy Scott, David Maslanka, William Albright, and John Williams. As a soloist, Mr. Lee has given recitals and solo performances across the globe including recitals at La Plantation in Beijing, Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Yamaha Japan, and the Lincoln Center in New York.
Mr. Lee has been a strong advocate of contemporary music written by composers of his generation. He has premiered numerous new works ranging from solo to orchestral and contributed to the addition of three new saxophone concertos. He premiered piano-redacted version of saxophone concerto Sull’ala by Susan Botti, and saxophone concertos by Thiago Tiberio and Avner Finberg are written for him. Mr. Lee recently premiered new contemporary saxophone solo works by Paolo Marchettini and Reiko Füting. Upcoming project will include premiering of a new work for alto saxophone, piano, and percussion by James Ra supported by the Si-Yo Music Society and Foundation Grant.
Mr. Lee has been a strong advocate of contemporary music written by composers of his generation. He has premiered numerous new works ranging from solo to orchestral and contributed to the addition of three new saxophone concertos. He premiered piano-redacted version of saxophone concerto Sull’ala by Susan Botti, and saxophone concertos by Thiago Tiberio and Avner Finberg are written for him. Mr. Lee recently premiered new contemporary saxophone solo works by Paolo Marchettini and Reiko Füting. Upcoming project will include premiering of a new work for alto saxophone, piano, and percussion by James Ra supported by the Si-Yo Music Society and Foundation Grant.
As an educator, Mr. Lee has given masterclasses and lectures in China, Korea, Japan, and the U.S. His private saxophone studio has expanded internationally via online platforms, and he teaches students from Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and the US. Mr. Lee holds teaching positions at Montana State University, where he is Assistant Teaching Professor of Saxophone, and Manhattan School of Music, where he is a saxophone faculty of the Precollege Division.
Born to Korean parents living in Tokyo, Mr. Lee began to study the saxophone at age thirteen and soon moved to New York City where he received his training at Manhattan School of Music. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree from Manhattan School of Music. He studied with Akemi Endo, Shiro Hatae, Nobuya Sugawa, and Dr. Paul Cohen.
Mr. Lee is an artist for the Classically Connected Inc. and Price Attractions Management.
