Colleen Lee
Encyclopedia
Colleen Lee Ka-ling(born October 11, 1980) is a Hong Kong
pianist
who won the 6th place prize in the 15th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in 2005.
upon admission to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
only two years later. She graduated valedictorian in 2001 (Bachelor’s) and again in 2003 (Professional Diploma), and has since been working with Arie Vardi
at the Hochschule in Hannover, Germany.
She has given recitals extensively on nearly every continent, in venues from Carnegie Hall
in New York
to Chopin
’s Manor in Poland
, and has collaborated with many major orchestras, performing works from Bach
to world premieres of Tjeknavorian
and others. She was a guest artist at prestigious festivals in Austria (Carinthia
), France (Prades “Casals”), Germany (Meissen
, Goslar
), Italy (Assisi
), Holland (Holland Music Sessions) and Poland (Antonin, Chopin Duszniki Zdroj), and has been heard on radio in Hong Kong, Poland, Germany, Italy, Scotland and the United States.
She is internationally acclaimed as one of the leading pianists of her generation, and has been engaged to perform in the New Masters on Tour Series in Concertgebouw
, Amsterdam
, and Den Haag; as well as in New York
, San Francisco and Tel-Aviv (with the Israel Philharmonic
) among other prestigious venues, for the upcoming season.
In 2005, she received 6th prize in the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition
, and in 2006 she received 6th prize in the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition
. She has also been awarded the Commendation from the Home Affairs Bureau
in 2004 and the Commendation for Community Service by the Chief Executive in 2006, in recognition of her outstanding achievements in music.
Lee also was the laureate of the Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition in Spain.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
who won the 6th place prize in the 15th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in 2005.
Biography
Lee began piano lessons when she was four, and started studying with Miss Eleanor WongEleanor Wong (musician)
Eleanor Wong Yee-lun is a pianist and keyboards teacher in Hong Kong. Wong studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London on an Associated Board Scholarship with Frederic Jackson and Max Pirani...
upon admission to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts , located near the north coast of Wan Chai on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, is both an academic institution and a venue for performances....
only two years later. She graduated valedictorian in 2001 (Bachelor’s) and again in 2003 (Professional Diploma), and has since been working with Arie Vardi
Arie Vardi
Arie Vardi is an Israeli classical pianist and piano pedagogue.He is currently teaching at the Buhmann-Mehta Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hanover and at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Brunswick, Maine...
at the Hochschule in Hannover, Germany.
She has given recitals extensively on nearly every continent, in venues from Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
’s Manor in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and has collaborated with many major orchestras, performing works from Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
to world premieres of Tjeknavorian
Loris Tjeknavorian
Loris Tjeknavorian is a contemporary Iranian-Armenian composer and conductor...
and others. She was a guest artist at prestigious festivals in Austria (Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
), France (Prades “Casals”), Germany (Meissen
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
, Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
), Italy (Assisi
Assisi
- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...
), Holland (Holland Music Sessions) and Poland (Antonin, Chopin Duszniki Zdroj), and has been heard on radio in Hong Kong, Poland, Germany, Italy, Scotland and the United States.
She is internationally acclaimed as one of the leading pianists of her generation, and has been engaged to perform in the New Masters on Tour Series in Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and Den Haag; as well as in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, San Francisco and Tel-Aviv (with the Israel Philharmonic
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is the leading symphony orchestra in Israel. It was originally known as the Palestine Orchestra, and in Hebrew as התזמורת הסימפונית הארץ ישראלית The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit...
) among other prestigious venues, for the upcoming season.
In 2005, she received 6th prize in the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition
International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition
The International Chopin Piano Competition , often referred to as the Chopin Competition, is a piano competition held in Warsaw, Poland to honour the name of Frédéric Chopin. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious music competitions in the world...
, and in 2006 she received 6th prize in the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition
Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition
The Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and is the second largest piano competition in the United States....
. She has also been awarded the Commendation from the Home Affairs Bureau
Home Affairs Bureau
Home Affairs Bureau is one of the policy bureaux of the Hong Kong Government.One of the important roles of the Home Affairs Bureau is to enhance liaison and communication with all sectors of the community including the Legislative Council and the general public.Tsang Tak-sing has been the...
in 2004 and the Commendation for Community Service by the Chief Executive in 2006, in recognition of her outstanding achievements in music.
Others
She has recorded regularly for RTHK Radio 4 for both recitals and chamber series. Also, she was one of the artists presented in the acclaimed Outstanding Young Chinese Musicians Series (2006), and was also one of the ten outstanding Hong Kong musicians featured in the CD and programme "Gifted" presented by RTHK 4 to celebrate the 10th years of the Establishment of the Hong Kong SAR. Her début CD, an all Chopin album, recorded in Warsaw with the Pleyel Piano was issued by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in 2006. In February 2008, she has recorded her second CD, including all Scarlatti Sonatas.Lee also was the laureate of the Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition in Spain.