Described by New York Concert Review as “A knockout performance”, classical saxophonist Wonki Lee has distinguished himself as one of leading saxophonists of his generation. Feeling equally at home in traditional and contemporary repertoire, Mr. Lee has won the top prize at Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition. His musical exploration has encompassed fascinations with history of saxophone repertoire and interpreting original works for saxophone with new insights and understandings.
In 2020, Mr. Lee’s debut album American Sonatas was released and became available through major digital distributions. The recording focuses on original works for saxophone written by American Composers. His second album Air – Songs for the Saxophone was released the summer of 2021. This new album showcases beauty and lyricism of the saxophone through well-known classical works. As a soloist, Mr. Lee has given recitals and solo performances across the globe including recitals at La Plantation in Beijing, Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Yamaha Osaka in Japan, and the Lincoln Center in New York. In collaboration with Yamaha Japan, Mr. Lee has given recitals that spotlights Yamaha custom saxophones and explores its potential through performing significant works for saxophone as he exclusively plays the Yamaha Custom 875 EX saxophones.
After making his Carnegie Weill Recital Hall debut premiering a new composition for soprano saxophone and piano, Mr. Lee became a strong advocate of contemporary music written by composers of his generation. He has premiered numerous new works ranging from solo to orchestral and contributed to the addition of three new saxophone concertos. He premiered piano-redacted version of saxophone concerto Sull’ala by Susan Botti, and saxophone concertos by Thiago Tiberio and Avner Finberg are written for him. Mr. Lee recently premiered new contemporary saxophone solo works by Italian composer Paolo Marchettini and German Composer Reiko Füting.
As well as solo performances, Mr. Lee is an avid orchestral saxophonist. He has collaborated numerous conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Robert Spano, and Philippe Entremont. He has appeared with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Wind Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony Orchestra, and Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra. Currently, Mr. Lee serves as a principal saxophonist of New York Wind Orchestra.
As an educator, Mr. Lee has given masterclasses and lectures in China, Korea, Japan, and the US. His private saxophone studio has expanded internationally via online platforms, and he teaches students from Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and the US.
Born to Korean parents living in Tokyo, Mr. Lee began to study the saxophone at age thirteen and soon moved to New York City where he received his training at Manhattan School of Music. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree from Manhattan School of Music. He studied with Akemi Endo, Shiro Hatae, Nobuya Sugawa, and Dr. Paul Cohen.