Download Grace Jong Eun Lee composer & Kayagum soloist ~ Vancouver Sun, 2003

Grace Jong Eun Lee
composer & Kayagum soloist
"Her sonic world is one of gentle, meditative space and tranquility."
~ Vancouver Sun, 2003
Grace Jong Eun Lee
composer & Kayagum soloist
Grace J E Lee & Kayagum
The Kayagum is one of the most representative and best known of
traditional Korean musical instruments. It has twelve silk strings and
movable bridges spanning the length of its wooden board, which is
made of paulownia wood. There are two techniques of playing: the
left-hand is used by pressing the strings and its finger movements can
be made various types of movements such as shaking, bending, vibrating
the strings. The right-hand is used in plucking or stromping the strings.
The tone of the Kayagum is soft, delicate and subtle. This instrument
was developed in the Southern Kingdom in the 3rd century.
Grace Jong Eun Lee
composer & Kayagum soloist
Biography
Grace Jong Eun Lee is a composer and a performer dedicated to inter-culturalism. She received her Bachelor of
Music and Master of Music from the University of British Columbia (Piano and Composition).
Currently, she teaches the Kayagum (Korean Zither) and new Korean music as well as directs and performs in the
School of Music Korean Ensemble at the Vancouver Community College. Also, she is an Associate composer of the
Canadian Music Centre. Her compositions have been performed at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and for the Candian
Society of Asian Arts, Festival Vancouver, Socan, and the CBC Orchestra. She has also organized a concert for the
Korean Heritage College of North America at the UBC Music Recital Hall. She performed one of the Kayaygum
pieces, “Revolution of the Dharma Wheel”, at the General Motors APEC and on Canadian Roger’s TV in 1997, at
the Korean Veterans Association (Victoria) in 2001, Pong-San Mask Dance Workshop (Korean Mask Dance Music
and History) lecture for the UBC Theatre Department, “Kayagum Concerto” for the Sacred Music Festival
Vancouver 2001 and the Socan Foundation for the Special Workshop for New Music. Also, she is the 2nd winner
at the Overseas Korean Traditional Arts Contest (2002). As a Canadian composer representative, her piece was
chosen in the International Festival of Women in Music Today 2003 (April 8-12) in Seoul, Korea. CBC Radio
(May, 2005) (Music of Grace J.E. Lee). Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (May, 2006) (Music of Grace J E Lee).
Her compositions reflect a combination of Korean, Chinese (Erhu) and Western instruments (flute, clarinet, piano,
string and percussion). She is strongly influenced by the sounds of nature and often uses them in her works to
convey the East Asian sense of space and emptiness. Her interest in playing both traditional and contemporary
music and composing for the Kayagum blossomed in Canada.
Grace Jong Eun Lee
composer & Kayagum soloist
Curriculum Vitae
Teaching Experience
Music Directorships
V.C.C. (Vancouver Community College) (2001-)
❏ Korean Traditional and Contemporary Music Ensemble Director
❏ Compsition Studies
❏ KSTCK (Korean Society for Traditional & Contemporary
Korean Music) (1997)
❏ Korean Heritage College of North America (1997)
❏ Korean Music Ensemble (U.B.C.) (1998-2001)
U.B.C. (UBC Continuing Education) (2001-2005)
❏ Performance in Korean musical instrument and Mask Dance
❏ Korean Music Ensemble (V.C.C.) (2001-)
U.B.C.(UBC School of Music ) (1998-2001)
❏ Korean Music Ensemble Director
❏ Vancouver Pro Musica Society (Board member) (Executive
Board member: Vice President (2002-2004)
❏ Member of Socan (1997-)
Tom Lee Music (1997-2000)
❏ Piano and Theory
❏ Canadian British Columbia Associate Composer (2002-)
Vancouver School Board (1996-1997)
❏ Theory (Music)
Professional Associations
Education
❏ Master of Music (Compostion), UBC (1998)
❏ Bachelor of Music (Piano and Composition), UBC (1995)
❏ Diploma (Korean Instrument (Percussion Instrument,
Kayagum and Mask Dance Performence) (Seoul Korea 2000)
❏ Society for the Preservation of Pong San Mask Dance Drama
Grace Jong Eun Lee
composer & Kayagum soloist
Commissions,
performances &
awards
❏ KCTV(Korean Canadian Television) (1995)
❏ Wrote logo songs: A Mixture of Kayagum (Korean Zither) and
Western instruments (1995)
❏ Sonic Boom Festival (1995)
❏ A solo Kayagum piece"Spirit" (1995)
❏ Canadian Society for Asian Arts (1997)
❏ KSTCK performed (1997)
❏ Vancouver New Music Society (Further East Further West) (1997)
❏ New Music for Asian instruments"Revolution of the Dharma Wheel"
(1997)
❏ Roser's TV Apec (GM Apec World Plaza Library Square) (1997)
❏ UBC Faculty of Arts (1999)
❏ Presents Celebration of the Korean Language instructorship
Kayagum Sanjo, "Silk Road"
❏ The Korean Veterans Association (Victoria) (2001)
❏ "Romance of the Fall" (Violin and Kayagum) (2000)
❏ Pong San Mask Dance Workshop (UBC Theatre Department, 2001)
❏ Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra: Composers night (2001)
❏ "Kayagum Concerto "(Dance of the Sunrise) (1998)
❏ CBC Radio 96.1 (2002) "Romance of the Fall", Violin and Kayagum
(2000)
❏ Vancouver Pro Music "Sonic Boom Festival" (2002)
❏ Presented new music "Romance of the Fall "
Canadian Music Centre (Socan Foundation) (2002)
❏ Presented Canadian Composers New Music Workshop "From
the inner World" (Three flutes and String Orchestra) (2002)
❏ 2nd Overseas Korean Traditional Arts Contest (Oct.30th 2002)
Winner of 2nd place
❏ British Columbia Arts Council Advisory Committees (Music Project
Jury) (Dec. 4-5th, 2002) served on the Music Project Jury
❏ Canadian Music Centre(CBC Orchestra) (2002)
❏ International World Festival of Women in Music Today (2003, April)
❏ Featuring in Seoul, Korea ("The Revolution of the Dharma Wheel")
(1997) Canadian Composer Representative
❏ Korean Mask Dance and History Lecture:UBC Asian Centre (2001)
❏ Sacred Music Festival Vancouver (2001)
❏ Festival Vancouver (Aug 12, 2003) (Music of Grace Jong Eun Lee)
❏ CBC Radio (May, 2005) (Music of Grace J.E. Lee)
❏ Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (May, 2006) (Music of Grace J E Lee)
Bookings & Inquiries
c: (604) 782-0396
1278 West 15th St.
t: (604) 985-2179
e: [email protected]
North Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6K4T1
Grace J E Lee