Mi-kyung Lee

Mi-kyung Lee left Korea in 1975 to study at the Menuhin Academy in Switzerland, and since then she has been based in Europe. Her major awards include first prize at the All-German Music University Competition, prizewinner at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, and winner at the ARD Competition in Munich, establishing her international reputation.

She has performed with leading orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony, Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Brussels Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Korean Chamber Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra, etc. She has also appeared at major international festivals including the Menuhin Festival, Berliner Festwochen, Salzburg Festival, Helsinki Festival, Casals Festival, among others, both as a soloist and chamber musician.

Her discography includes numerous recordings on EMI, Claves, Ondine, Capriccio, and other labels, all of which have been highly praised for their artistry and interpretation. From 1994 to 2003, she served as Artistic Director of the Lappeenranta Festival in Finland. In 1998, she received an Honorary Doctorate from De Montfort University in Leicester, England, in recognition of her musical and educational contributions. In 2021, she was awarded the 53rd Nanpa Music Prize in Korea, for her contribution as a Korean musician on the international stage.

As an educator, she was Visiting Professor at the Berlin University of the Arts, Professor at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and since 2004 has been Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich, where she was elected Dean in 2020. She continues to give masterclasses in Europe and Korea, working closely with the next generation of musicians. Currently, she is the Artistic Director of MIMA (Mikyung Lee International Music & Arts), dedicated to nurturing young talents and building global artistic exchange.