Biography: Pianist Dai Uk Lee is currently he is a professor at Hanyang University in Seoul. He is active as a performer and conductor and he has performed widely throughout the United States and Far East as a solo pianist and duo-pianist with his wife, pianist Yong Hi Moon. Born in Seoul, Korea, Dai Uk Lee began piano lessons with his mother at the age of five and made orchestral debut at the age of ten with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. After a successful early career as a pianist in Korea, he moved to the USA to study at the Juilliard School and later, at Peabody Conservatory of Music where he also studied conducting. After winning several competitions in the USA and Europe, he has performed widely throughout the United States and Far East as a solo pianist and duo-pianist (with Yong Hi Moon). As a conductor, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall and since then, has conducted a number of orchestras in the USA and Korea. In 1991 he organized Korea’s first-ever complete cycle of Mozart piano concertos commemorating the bicentennial anniversary of the Composer’s death. He also performed a cycle of complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas in nine recitals at Michigan State University where he taught for 19 years as a member of piano and conducting faculty. In 1995 he founded and became the music director of the Michigan Chamber Symphony Orchestra. During his tenure with the Michigan Chamber Symphony, some of the most prominent artists appeared with MCSO, including Fou T’song, Sumi Jo and Midori. They performed the complete Brandenburg Concerti by J.S. Bach to commemorate the 250th year composer’s death.
His CD of Czech four-hand piano music (with Yong Hi Moon) received a wide acclaim in this country and Europe.
In recent years in Korea he has conducted Seoul Philharmonic, Kwangju Philharmonic orchestra, Daegu Philharmonic and the Korean Symphony Orchestra and made frequent appearances with Bushoen Philharmonic. In 2003, he was awarded the Fulbright Scholar Grant to teach at Seoul National University. From 2003 to 2007 he was the music director of Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra and since 2006 he has served as the artistic director of the Seoul Music Festival and Academy.
Among his notable performances in Korea is conducting Korea’s first performance of 2nd act of Wagner Tristan & Isolde in concert form with Korean Symphony Orchestra. Recently he has given solo piano recitals at Boston University, University of Florida and University of Kansas. In spring of 2011 he is giving a complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin with violinist Min Kim in Seoul and in the fall, he will be giving a series of recitals with programs devoted to Liszt, commemorating the bicentennial of the composer’s birth. In November of 2011 he served as the chairman of the jury in the Isang Yun International Piano Competition in Tong Yeong, Korea.
