TMA149 Members

Song Hee Lee

Korea-born Cellist Songhee Lee joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in June 2022.

Prior to this, she has served as the principal cellist in the Verbier Festival Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music Orchestra, and Jacobs School of Music Philharmonic Orchestra. In the recent pandemic years, she has also served as a guest principal at the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as an assistant principal at Tongyoung International Music Festival Orchestra and Symphony Song Orchestra in Korea.

As a musician, Lee is a recipient of Verbier Festival Awards and finalist of Kirishima International Music Festival Competition. Lee has collaborated with highly esteemed artists such as Menahem Pressler, Kurt Masur, James Conlon, Placido Domingo, Jeremy Denk, Richard O’Neil and Ebene String Quartet. She has also performed under the baton of many conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Alan Gilbert, Valery Gergiev, Fabio Luisi and Gerard Schwarz. She has frequently performed in both the United States and South Korea in well-known venues including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Metropolitan Museum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center and Lotte Concert Hall.

Lee studied with Kyung-Ok Park and Hyun-shil Kim in her early ages in Korea, and started her undergraduate studies at Colburn School with Ronald Leonard after she graduated Seoul Arts High School. She received her Bachelor’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music under David Geber with full scholarship and began her studies with Timothy Eddy at The Juilliard School soon after for her Masters degree. Lee was in progress of obtaining her Performance Degree of Orchestral Studies at the Jacobs School of Music with Eric Kim right before she joined TSO.

Outside of playing cello, Lee loves coffee, baking, playing golf, swimming, sunbathing and animals.