Alumni Spotlight: Haerim Liz Lee ’10
Korean violinist, Haerim Elizabeth Lee captivates audiences by “leaving them breathless with impeccable phrasing and relevant musicality” (El Norte, Mexico). Elizabeth has developed a playing style indicative of the very essence of her personality: passionate, deliberate, and often witty. In 2015, Elizabeth performed as the concertmaster with Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center Honors concert in Washington, DC to recognize Maestro Seiji Ozawa, which was attended by former President Barack Obama. As a performing artist and scholar, Lee has established herself as a visionary and was the first recipient of the Tarisio Young Artist Grant as the Artistic Director of MoKo Musik for promotion and commission of Korean music.
Elizabeth immigrated from Deajeon, South Korea at the age of eight to pursue scholarship in music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She went on to obtain her Bachelor of Music from New England Conservatory and her Masters in Music from Rice University Shepherd School of Music. While earning her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Michigan, Elizabeth was profoundly inspired by her experiences abroad at the Paris Conservatoire, and even extended her studies in Paris by an additional year.
Why did you choose NEC?
I grew up in North Carolina and I dreamed of going to a school full of talented musicians. NEC was and still is one of the best music conservatories in the world, and I was drawn to its incredible chamber music program. I loved the energy of the school when I came to audition.
How have your NEC experiences shaped your artistic approach?
NEC was an incredibly warm and supportive environment. I saw the best musicians of every genre and it opened my eyes to all the possibilities in music. From taking Ran Blake's Film Noir class to String Quartet Seminars, I learned what it meant to be a true artist and the dedication it takes. NEC taught me to find my own voice. Also, our teachers and classmates were so approachable, humble and gracious. I learned that you should never take any moment for granted and to give it your all when you have the instrument in your hands.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
Katarina Miljkovic's solfege class was one of the first classes I ever took at NEC. She was such an inspiring teacher and person, and I was curious to take her other classes in contemporary music. She is truly the reason I fell in love with new music. She introduced contemporary music in a way that inspired me and encouraged me to explore. I was so insecure and worried about not getting it perfect, but through these classes I improvised for the first time.
One highlight from my time at NEC was when our class did a project with Boston Architectural College involving installations. These moments sparked my interest for collaboration and the desire to work with artists across various art forms to create something unique.
What have you been up to since graduating from NEC?
I was part of a string quartet and I recorded an album with NEC alumnus, Alex Brown ’09, and in 2019 we released an album, My Time Is Now. I am currently preparing for my second album, which will feature my passion project - MoKo Musik (Modern Korean Music). MoKo Musik is an ensemble mixed with Western and Korean traditional instruments that will feature Korean contemporary compositions and improvisation on Korean folk tunes. It will also feature other NEC alumni!
I am fortunate to be a violin professor at Texas Christian University School of Music. I am inspired by my students and I enjoy teaching them to find solutions in music and in life. I am passionate about guiding students to find their unique place in the music world and I hope my own experiences can help them on their journey. I am so grateful to have learned from the best and I hope to pass on the incredible lessons I received from my professors and mentors at NEC.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at NEC?
My favorite thing about NEC was that it was a smaller school and you were always in close proximity to brilliant and creative minds. I especially loved being exposed to contemporary improvisation and jazz. It was all so new to me. I loved becoming close friends with classmates who did not study the same genre of music as I did, and being introduced to the most interesting, new, and different music. My friends and I would go to so many concerts together and cheer on our friends! We all had so much love and respect for one another. Also, playing in Jordan Hall was such a magical experience. It was our home and we were so lucky!
Do you have any advice for young musicians/current NEC students?
Get to know your classmates, go to as many concerts as you can, and take classes from different faculty and genres. You never know when that moment of inspiration will hit you and you’ll have an ‘ah-ha’ moment!! Don't be afraid to try new things!
Share any other stories about what has inspired you at NEC and beyond.
I love learning what my classmates and friends from NEC are currently up to! I am still running into old classmates in various cities and countries on my travels or on their tours. It is really nice to see that everyone has found their place, some in different ways than they originally thought. Most recently, I met up with friends who are now working and living in London and Denmark. We all learned how to be individual thinkers and artists and those skills will continue to help us forge our own path, and I am inspired by all the incredible and creative projects my fellow NEC classmates and other alumni are working on! I remember not knowing exactly how my life would turn out when I was about to graduate from NEC and to be honest, I was nervous and anxious. But little by little, I learned to trust that I had the skills needed to take on the next challenge. I am grateful for all of the different experiences I had at NEC and I am proud to be a part of the NEC family!
Join Liz on Monday, April 3rd for a webinar, Interviewing for Teaching Positions with Haerim Liz Lee '10. Click here to register.
Learn more about Liz
Graduation year: 2010
Degree: Bachelor of Music
Major: Violin Performance
Current job: Assistant Professor of Violin at Texas Christian University
Website: lizleeviolin.com
Instagram: @lizleeviolin
Facebook: facebook.com/lizleeviolin
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/haerim-lee-a45809107/
Do you want to be featured in an Alumni Spotlight?
