Pianist Stephen Joven-Lee plays music he composed, plus works by Maurice Ravel, Paul Çelebi, Robert Schumann, and Johann Strauss.
Philippine-born Stephen Joven-Lee began piano studies at age 10. One year later, he moved to New York City where he studied with Dr. Amy E. Gustafson and Dr. Jose Ramon Mendez on a full scholarship.
Joven-Lee is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he studied under Professor Alvin Chow. He was the recipient of Oberlin’s Rudolf Serkin Prize and John Elvin Prize for excellence in piano performance, as well as the Faustina Hurlbutt Prize for outstanding graduating student in piano. He went on to receive a Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School where he studied under Professor Julian Martin, and was one of eight selected pianists to compete in the school’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition. Joven-Lee is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Northwestern University with Dr. Jose Ramon Mendez, where he won 1st place in the Thaviu-Isaak Piano Competition.
Joven-Lee is an award winner of almost two-dozen competitions. This has led him to perform in many renowned halls including Carnegie Weill Hall (NY), Severance Reinberger Hall (OH), Steinway Hall (NY & OH), and other international stages. He has had the opportunity to perform Liszt’s 1st Piano Concerto and Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto with the Bloomingdale Orchestra. His third and most recent appearance at Carnegie’s Weill Hall was sponsored by the Fil-Am Music Foundation.
Alongside performance, Joven-Lee is a passionate teacher and scholar. Certain of his own students have gone on to receive awards at competitions, and have performed in venues including Carnegie Weill Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. He recently gave masterclasses at the Palmetto International Music Festival and at the Manila Pianos Artist Series. He also taught music theory and ear-training classes at the Juilliard School and Northwestern University. As a scholar, Joven-Lee has done research and writing to be published for the Juilliard Orchestra. Joven-Lee has premiered many pieces in Europe and North America, including his own. Joven-Lee is an avid composer, conductor, and chamber musician.
Joven-Lee has been elected as a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda – National Music Honor Society in recognition of the highest level of musical achievement and academic scholarship. Joven-Lee is honored to be on the Young Artists Roster of the Fil-Am Music Foundation.