Violist Haesue Lee, is the first prize and audience prize winner of both the 72nd ARD International Music Competition and the 2018 Primrose International Viola Competition, establishing her as one of the most exciting violists of her generation

Renowned for her magnetic stage presence, Haesue made her early debut at the Carnegie Hall at the age of twelve. She has appeared as soloist with distinguished orchestras including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Staatsorchestra of Hannover. She was the 2023/24 “Artist-in-residence” at the Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra. Haesue has given numerous concerts in prestigious halls including Carnegie Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Cologne Philharmonie, Hannover Opera House, Kaufmann Center, and the Kimmel Center. 

Haesue’s deepest artistic inspiration comes from musical collaboration. As a passionate chamber musician, she has been invited to perform at prestigious venues and festivals such as the Korean Presidential “Blue House”, Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, and the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival. In the past seasons, she toured leading European venues as a representative of the Curtis Institute of Music and the winners of the ARD Competition. She has had the privilege of collaborating with many of today’s most celebrated musicians, including Tabea Zimmermann, Janine Jansen, Nobuko Imai, Kirill Gerstein, Vadim Gluzman, Gary Hoffman, Lynn Harrell, and Miriam Fried.

Haesue achieved her Bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music with Hsin-Yun Huang and Roberto Diaz. She then earned her Master’s degree with Tabea Zimmermann at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik and she is currently a young artist at the Kronberg Academy, supported by the Ono Patronage. 

Haeuse performs on a viola by Gasparo de Salò dating from 1590 on loan from the Samsung Foundation.