Kate Yunseo Lee, a 6th-grade student at St. Leo the Great Catholic School in Fairfax, VA, began her piano journey at the age of 4 under the tutelage of Dr. Anna Ouspenskaya, alongside music theory lessons from Fedor Ouspensky.
In April 2024, Kate showcased her talent by performing Dmitri Kabalevsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Cairo Opera House Orchestra and maestro Gevorg Sargsyan at the Cairo Opera House. This performance was recorded and will be released as a digital audio album by CiMA (Cicerone Music and Arts) label on platforms like Spotify, Amazon, Apple, and Deezer this year. Prior to this, Kate performed Yuri Polunin’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the New York Chambers Players Orchestra and maestro Giacomo Franci at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, in November 2022. Kate has had the privilege of performing multiple times at Weill Recital Hall and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, including as an American Protégé Judges’ Distinction Award winner in 2019 and a First- Place winner in the American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music in the same year.
In 2024, she achieved second place at the Piano Concerto Festival hosted by the Northern Virginia Music Teacher Association. Additionally, she won first place in the American Fine Arts Festival Concerto Competition in 2023, participating in the winner’s recital at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, the same year.
Her talent has been recognized globally with top prizes in various international and regional competitions, including honorable mentions in the 2023 Thomas F. Hulbert International Piano Competition and the 2022 William Knabe International Piano Competition. She also earned an honorable mention and the iClassical Academy Excellence Award from the Global Sound Espressivo Competition in 2022. Additionally, she achieved first place in the 2020 Forte International Music Competition & Festivals, Glory International Modern & Contemporary/ Romantic Music Competition, YMIC Metropolitan Music Festival, and Great Composers Competition series since 2018.Kate’s positive, passionate, and determined attitude towards life is deeply influenced by her piano and music theory studies. Through consistent practice, she has developed musical expression, a sense of accomplishment, as well as logical and critical thinking skills.
Watch Kate Lee perform Melody in E. Op.3 No.3 1940 Version by Rachmaninoff for the 2025 International Piano Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.