BiographyWith an overwhelming talent and innate musicality, Yoonseok Lee is rapidly embarking onhis own unique career and considered one of the most distinctive harmonica players of hisgeneration, appearing as a concerto soloist and active recitalist. There are fewprofessional harmonica players around the world, especially in the classical music scene,therefore he has been brought to their attention and has been featured on the majorpress and media including KBS – the Korean Broadcasting System – Classic FM Radio. Since Seongnam Music Festival Series in 2017 with Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra,Yoonseok Lee has collaborated with conductors at the highest level such as Nanse Gum,who is one of the most renowned conductors in South Korea. Major orchestralappearances include the Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Seongnam PhilharmonicOrchestra, Hankyung Philharmonic Orchestra, New World Philharmonic Orchestra, and soforth. In addition to collaborations with the full orchestra, he has been working as achamber musician performing several original works in different chamber music settingsfrom with string quartet to string orchestra, with harp, with guitar, and even with organ! In 2018, Yoonseok Lee made history, becoming the first ever harmonica player to beadmitted to the prestigious and highly acclaimed Norwegian Academy of Music (Norgesmusikhøgskole) in Oslo. Whilst there he studied with the legendary harmonica virtuosoSigmund Groven, along with giving several recitals for Norwegian audiences andparticipating in several chamber music projects including original works written forharmonica.

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Highlights of the 2019-20 season include the centenary concert celebrating the famousNorwegian composer Øistein Sommerfeldt, hosted by The Sommerfeldts, where Yoonseokwas invited to be a guest player for the piece Munnspillfantasi over en gammel stevtonethat the composer wrote especially for unaccompanied harmonica in 1978. Yoonseok wasthe first player to play this piece in Korea as an Asian premiere in 2018. And in celebrationof the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Koreaand Norway, he was invited as a guest player for the celebration event, hosted by theEmbassy of the Republic of Korea at Oslo Concert Hall. After successful concert tours inNorway, he also gave a premiere concert with Sunyoung Bang on the harp in Korea,considered the first harmonica and harp duo recital ever in Korea. In 17/18, recital highlights will include performances at ELIM Art Center with the concerttitle of “HARMONICA FANTASY” with Joseph Kim on the piano. In the spring of 2018, hegave 3-day orchestral tour throughout Gyeongnam in South Korea; Changwon, Jinju, andGeoje with KNN Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist with the maestro Nanse Gum. In thesummer of 2018, he was invited to as a soloist with Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra astheir Tunisia tour at Amphitheatre of El Djem – Gladiatorial Arena of Tunisia at the 33rdFestival international de musique symphonique d’El Jem, held in El Jem, Tunisia, Africa. Heplayed  Toledo – Spanish Fantasy for harmonica and orchestra  and  Bulgarian WeddingDance  by James Moody as Tunisian premiere, as well as  Cafe 1930 from “Histoire duTango”  by Astor Piazzolla with Jacob Kellermann on the guitar, one of the most activeSwedish guitarists of his generation. In 16/17 he gave several recital tour at the ARKO Artist House, YAMAHA Artist ServiceSeoul, UJUNG Art Hall, as well as KUMHO Art Hall with  Five Pieces for harmonica andstrings (or piano)  by Gordon Jacob as Korean premiere,  Rhapsody in Blue  by GeorgeGershwin,  Adios Nonino  by Astor Piazzolla, and so on. Other highlights include concertoappearances with Seoul Metropolitan Youth Orchestra with Concerto for harmonica andorchestra  by Michael Spivakovsky as Korean premiere, which is the first major concertoever written for harmonica and orchestra. In 2016, he also played duet with hismentor Sigmund Groven at Seoul Arts Center as a guest player with Ivar Anton Waagaardon the piano.

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In addition to his solo career, he has performed in the harmonica quartet “ARBOLHarmonica Ensemble” as its team leader and produced their own concert tours includingKUMHO ASIANA Lobby Concert, SEOJONG Concert, as well as Poetry Reading Night Concertat National Museum of Korea. In 2017, ARBOL Harmonica Ensemble was appointed as oneof the young artist groups supported by Korean government; THE YOUNG MIC – YoungArtist Concert Series. In between touring the world or performing at local art centers in Korea, he finds time toeducate the next generation of upcoming stars, and through workshops and coachingaims to inspire all age/level groups; from elementary students to seniors and frombeginners to would-be teachers and promising young players. Since 2017, he has alsoworked as one of the co-instructors  with Sigmund Groven, Tore Reppe, Vegard AustlidKjøsnes, and Ivar Anton Waagaard for Norsk Munnspillforum (NMF; Norwegian HarmonicaForum) in Norway. As a composer/arranger, he has composed and arranged many pieces for various genres –classical music, jazz, pop, folk, and tango – for his own and other players in differentsettings from harmonica and piano to harmonica original ensembles such as harmonicaduet, trio, quartet, and quintet. Born in 1992 in South Korea, Yoonseok Lee started learning the harmonica at the age of 11and majored in musicology at the Seoul National University where he graduated with tophonors in 2017. In 2012, he gave his first public recital and orchestral debut with Toledo –Spanish Fantasy for harmonica and orchestra by James Moody. After his studies withSigmund Groven in Norway, he is now based in Seoul and Oslo. He plays a custom-made silver concert harmonica (“Polle Concert Harmonica”) made bythe Norwegian harmonica craftsman Georg Pollestad. His repertoire ranges from popularand folk music to his own compositions, from Bach to contemporary music. January 2020

"Yoonseok Lee brings you the best of the harmonica!"

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