Winner of the 2022 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, Korean-Canadian conductor Earl Lee has emerged as one of the most compelling and versatile artists of his generation. He has led many of the world’s foremost orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. In August 2025, Lee stepped in on short notice to replace Zubin Mehta in the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Tanglewood, where The Boston Globe praised his interpretation as “an unhurried, momentous ritual … the finale nothing short of spectacular.”
In the 2025–26 season, Lee’s engagements include return appearances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as debuts with the Korean National Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a special project with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).
As Music Director of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Lee has revitalized the ensemble’s artistic vision with programming that bridges tradition and innovation. His leadership blends a deep respect for the symphonic canon with a curiosity for new and diverse forms of expression, bringing a fresh sense of energy and purpose to the orchestra’s seasons. Under his direction, the Ann Arbor Symphony has presented bold repertoire alongside genre-crossing collaborations with artists such as Jacob Collier and Chris Thile, broadening the ensemble’s reach and musical scope. Beyond Ann Arbor, Lee has worked with many composers including Unsuk Chin, Tod Machover, Donghoon Shin, Katherine Balch, and Carlos Simon, conducting works by these leading voices of our time and giving world premieres of new compositions by Machover and Balch. Through these collaborations, he continues to champion music that expands the expressive range of the modern orchestra.
Lee has been mentored by Andris Nelsons, Manfred Honeck, Hugh Wolff, Peter Oundjian, Kurt Masur, and Bernard Haitink. At Masur’s invitation, he studied privately with him in Leipzig, focusing on the life and music of Felix Mendelssohn — an experience that profoundly shaped his artistic identity.
A former cellist trained at the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, and the Marlboro Music Festival, Lee brings a chamber musician’s sense of communication, listening, and shared purpose to every performance, seeking to create music that is both unified and deeply expressive.
2025/26 season / 387 words. Not to be altered without permission.