Steinway Artist: Franziska Lee

28. March 2024
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Die Pianistin Franziska Lee

Pianist Franziska Lee has joined the Steinway Artists circle.

Franziska Lee has already made a name for herself as an exceptional pianist with her debut CD " L'HEURE EXQUISE ", which contains a program of exclusively works by French composers of the 20th century. She succeeds in conjuring up orchestral fullness and also intermediate tones from the piano in a virtuoso and colorful manner. Italian composer and conductor Marcello Abbado wrote of Franziska Lee: "She has the ability to make the piano sing with absolute nobility."

Born in Seoul, South Korea, the pianist graduated top of her class in music studies with HeeSung Joo at Seoul National University. In 2011, she came to Germany as a DAAD scholarship holder to complete her master's degree at the Karlsruhe University of Music in the class of Prof. Sontraud Speidel, followed by her soloist exam in piano. She completed both with distinction. She received further artistic impulses from Peter Lang at the Mozarteum Salzburg and from Françoise Thinat in Paris. Franziska Lee has won first prizes at numerous international competitions. Thus, she won first prizes at important international competitions in Europe and Asia as early as 2010. In 2013 she was first prize winner at the Dr. Hermann Büttner Piano Competition of the Karlsruhe University of Music. In 2015, her artistic personality and musical commitment were honored with the Music Promotion Prize of the Kulturfonds Baden e. V.. In 2016, she won first prize at the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition in London.

Several engagements took her to South Korea and to Minneapolis (USA). In 2015, she performed as part of the "Rising Stars" concert series of the Baden-Württemberg music academies, followed by concert invitations from the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra and the German State Philharmonic Orchestra of Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as engagements in radio and film productions. On the occasion of the 200th birthday of Clara Schumann in 2019, Franziska Lee performed her Piano Concerto op. 7 at the Piano Festival of the Piano Podium Karlsruhe. In 2021 she presented her second CD "LONDON NIGHTS" with piano works by English composers of the 20th century (CAPRICCIO). Unfortunately, an invitation to a recital in the Elbphilharomine Hamburg had to be cancelled due to the Corona pandemic.

In addition to her busy concert schedule, Franziska Lee is committed to promoting young musicians. She holds a teaching position at the Karlsruhe University of Music. As a lecturer for piano and piano chamber music she is active in international courses. Franziska Lee is a regular jury member at "Jugend musiziert" and international competitions.