KRISTINA LEE
Kristina Lee was born in Korea, grew up in the United States and lived in Istanbul, Turkey and Beirut, Lebanon. Kristina is a musician, educator, entrepreneur, and a world traveler.
Kristina started playing the piano at age eight. From early on, music opened a whole new world of imagination and possibilities for her. When she immigrated to the US at age twelve and started learning English for the first time, music became the medium that allowed Kristina to express herself beyond any language could. Kristina earned her Bachelors in Piano Performance at University of Washington in Seattle, Washington and Masters in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Graduate Schools in Pasadena, California.
After finishing her masters’ degree, Kristina went to explore the world. It took her to over 40 countries, including residencies in Istanbul and Beirut. During that time, Kristina had opportunities to work with the expat community, humanitarian organizations, world-class-scholars, refugees, the homeless, and the marginalized. Music was not always the main work she did in the places she worked and lived in, but it had an unmistakable presence in all that she did, never failing to open doors and hearts of people.
When Kristina’s life took an unexpected turn in 2012, Kristina relocated to the Seattle area to rebuild her life. Convinced that this was her second chance in life to dedicate her life to music, Kristina started teaching piano out of her one bedroom apartment in Bellevue, Washington. Since then, Kristina Lee Music grew steadily, and have gone through multiple phases of growth and expansion, with various programs and teaching staff, but always focused on depth, uncompromising quality, and to empower people to meet their full potential.
My ability to express and create music has allowed me to have immeasurably meaningful experiences in my life and I am forever grateful for the gift that music has been to me. Music is magic. And the opportunity I am given as a teacher to create that for my students’ lives is a privilege I do not hold lightly. Piano teachers hold one of those odd and rare places in our society. We do not only teach but we also mentor, help, listen, guide, empathize, encourage, marvel, and inspire. Our relationship with a student can last anywhere from a few months to a few years and often beyond a decade. Beside my love and passion for music, it is this relationally transforming aspect of piano teaching that I value as much, if not more.
Kristina Lee’s first album, recorded in 2001 with her original compositions, can be found on iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon. Kristina is a member of Music Teachers’ National Association and has been a speaker at Washington State Music Teachers Associations’ State Conference. She has served in the board of Eastside Music Teachers’ Association and have been invited multiple times to lead workshops on improvisation. She is also serving in National Conference Keyboard Pedagogy’s Creative Track Committee.
In 2018, she collaborated with climate scientist Judy Twedt in presenting Judy’s first live performance of data sonified music at TEDx Seattle. Kristina served as the first Music Curator of Capitol Cider, curating multiple genres of live music for the venue. Kristina’s work in the field of music as an accompanist, soloist, instrumentalist, studio musician, composer, and a leader of ensembles, choirs, and bands — the breadth of her work is unparalleled among her contemporary. Presently, Kristina allots the bulk of her time in leading Kristina Lee Music and teaching its students with passion, innovation, and dedication.
Kristina Lee Music 