Soo-Young Lee

Born in 1985 in Seoul, South Korea, clarinetist Soo-Young Lee began her musical education at the age of five initially with the violin, before switching to the clarinet at the age of 12. She completed her bachelor's degree at Seoul National University under the guidance of Dong-Jin Kim, and continued her master's studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Prof. Stefan Schilling. Subsequently, she completed her concert exam at the Detmold Hochschule für Musik under Prof. Thomas Lindhorst.

During this time, she was awarded in several competitions, including the Woohyun Wind and Percussion Competition, the Intermusica Birkenfeld Soloist Competition, the Moscow Conservatory Competition for Wind and Percussion Instruments, and the Interpretation Competition of the Detmold Hochschule für Musik.

As an orchestral musician, she played with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Academy, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Lucerne Festival, and the Estonian Festival Orchestra. She also participated in various international festivals, including in South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Japan, New York (Carnegie Hall), Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Norway, Malta, Poland, Great Britain, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

In 2014, she joined the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and has served as the solo clarinetist there since 2019. She also appeared as a guest solo clarinetist with numerous internationally renowned orchestras, including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, the Nordic Chamber Orchestra, the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, the Detmold Chamber Orchestra, and the Estonian Sinfonietta. As a soloist, she performed with various orchestras, such as the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest German Philharmonic, the Romanian National Orchestra, the Estonian Sinfonietta, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Korea.

Since 2016, she has been an active founding member of the Auftakt Ensemble, a trio consisting of violin, clarinet, and piano. This ensemble has been repeatedly awarded at chamber music competitions, such as the Clara Wieck Schumann Competition in Massa, Italy, and the Danubia Talents International Music Competition in Budapest, Hungary. In parallel, Soo-Young Lee was appointed as a lecturer for clarinet and chamber music at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and has been invited to master classes in Estonia, Spain, and Latvia.