This is a rebroadcast from May 1, 2019.
Pianist Lee Dionne presents a program of Beethoven and Brahms on this Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast.
Pianist Lee Dionne holds passion, imagination, and play at the core of his art. His performances have been described as “impressive” (NY Times) and “impeccable” (Fanfare Magazine), and his interpretations combine a freedom of elocution with a depth of understanding across a repertoire spanning six centuries. Lee cultivates a particular interest in creating performances that help audiences form personally relevant connections with music. Such experiences have ranged from performance-based talks at major universities to interactive performances in schools and community centers.
Lee’s recent performances have taken place at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Paul Hall at the Juilliard School, Joe’s Pub and St. Peter’s Church in NYC, Sprague Hall at Yale University, Stull Hall at Oberlin College, and at the Philharmonie and Conservatoire Nationale Supérieure in Paris. In March, 2015 Lee made his debut as a soloist at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Philharmonic in Bratislava. A dedicated chamber musician, Lee is a founding member of Merz Trio and performs frequently as a core member of Cantata Profana and with Ensemble Connect (formerly Ensemble ACJW, a joint program of Carnegie Hall, the Juilliard School, and the Weill Institute).
Lee has appeared performing concerti alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, the Yale Symphony Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Virtuosi. As a chamber musician he has been invited to perform at Staunton Music Festival, Yellow Barn Music Festival, and Norfolk Summer Music. Lee’s performances have been broadcast live on NPR, Britain’s Classic FM, Holland’s Classic FM, and Portugal’s Antena 2. His recordings can be heard on the MSR Records and Naxos labels.
Lee has been the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including a DAAD fellowship for study abroad in Germany, a Presser Foundation music award, and third prize in the 2012 James Mottram International Piano Competition. While studying at Yale University, Lee was the recipient of prizes at both Yale School of Music and Yale College in recognition of his musical leadership and the quality of his theses in music analysis and comparative literature.
Lee is currently a candidate for the Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance from Yale School of Music and the Soloist Diploma in piano performance from the Musikhochschule in Hannover, Germany. Previously he received his M.M.A. and M.M. from Yale School of Music and his B.A. in literature from Yale College. Lee’s many wonderful teachers and mentors have included Boris Berman, Matti Raekallio, Wei-Yi Yang, Patricia Zander, Wilma Machover, Michael Friedmann, Paul Berry, and Arthur Haas.
Biography courtesy of the IMF website.
