Violist Haesue Lee is the first prize and audience prize winner of the 72nd ARD Competition and the 2018 Primrose International Viola Competition. 

Following her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of twelve, she has performed as soloist with the prestigious orchestras, such as, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Berg Symphony Orchestra. She was the 2023/24 “Artist-in-residence” at the Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra. In the next season, Haesue will be making her debut with the Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne, Dessau Anhalt Philharmonic Orchestra and the North Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra. Haesue has given numerous concerts in prestigious halls including Carnegie Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Kaufmann Center, and the Kimmel Center. 

Haesue’s greatest inspiration comes from music making with other musicians. As a passionate chamber musician, Haesue was invited to the Korean Presidential “Blue House”, Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, and the Bridgehampton Music Festival. During the 22/23 season, Haesue was on tour in prestigious venues in Europe, representing the Curtis Institute of Music. In the next season she will be on tour with the past ARD competition winners. She has shared the stage with many distinguished artists such as Tabea Zimmermann, Nobuko Imai, Kirill Gerstein, 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 continuing her studies with Zimmermann at the Kronberg Academy. These studies are funded by the Ono Patronage.

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