Biography

Pianist Donna Lee made her solo debut in 1990 with the National Symphony Orchestra.  She has since appeared as a soloist and collaborative artist at Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall and Terrace Theater in Washington, DC and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York City.  Donna has performed in Asia, Europe and throughout the US, with recent concerts in Hong Kong, Beijing, China and Puerto Rico.

 

Critics have described Donna Lee’s performances as elegant and refined (Il Fronimo, Italy), engaging (WCLV-Cleveland) and brilliant (Iwate Daily News, Japan).  As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed at festivals such as Ameri-China International Music Foundation in China, Brevard Music Center in North Carolina, Interlochen Arts Festival in Michigan, Kent Blossom Music in Ohio, Maui Classical Music in Hawaii, and Music-on-the-Hill in Rhode Island.  A frequent collaborator with cellist, Keith Robinson, they have performed the complete works of Beethoven and Felix Mendelssohn for cello and piano in recent years.   In 2011, they released a recording of the complete works by Felix Mendelssohn for cello and piano on Blue Griffin label.  She also made her solo recording debut on the Azica label, with a program entitled Scenes from Childhood with works by Schumann, del Tredici, Medtner, and Prokofieff.

 

Donna Lee earned her doctorate from Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, her Masters from The Juilliard School, and her bachelor of music degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied with prominent artist-teachers Julian Martin, the late Rudolf Firkusny, and Thomas Schumacher, respectively.  A highly sought-after teacher and clinician, she has had numerous prize-winning students.  She has taught at Peabody Conservatory, Bucknell University, and Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.  Presently, Donna Lee is on the faculty at Kent State University; during the summers, she is co-director of the Piano Institute at Kent State and artist-faculty at Kent Blossom Chamber Music in Ohio and Brevard Music Center in North Carolina.  Donna Lee is a Steinway Artist.