Su a Lee

Education

Lee was given a full scholarship to attend Chetham's School of Music (along with her two sisters Song-a and Hae-a) in Manchester at the age of nine. In 1988, she was then awarded a full-scholarship place to study with the late Harvey Shapiro at the Juilliard School in New York where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1992.  Lee returned to New York in 2007, to play a recital at Carnegie Hall as part of a piano trio with her sister Songa and pianist Louise Thomas.

Career

Appointed assistant principal cellist in 2003, Su-a has been a member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra since 1993. She is also active in the experimental SCO Lab group and regularly participates in both the orchestra's education and community outreach programmes. In 2009, the SCO made an extensive tour of India, where the Lab group played as soloists alongside the Sarod Maestro, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. A CD of their collaboration Samaagam was released in May 2011.

Alongside other players in the SCO, Robert McFall (violin), Brian Schiele (viola) and Scottish Ballet's principal bass player Rick Standley, Lee was a founding member of the group Mr McFall's Chamber which was formed to present classical music in new and inventive ways. Mr McFall's Chamber began as a string quartet playing avant-garde classical music in late-night club venues.  The group has expanded to include a wide range of performers playing diverse repertoires from cartoon classics, through to progressive rock, jazz and tango nuevo. In 2010, they performed the works of the late Celtic fusion pioneer Martyn Bennett (Lee is also an Associate Member of the Marty Bennett Trust.) with the album Birds and Beasts, collaborated with Norwegian electronic jazz percussionist Thomas Strønen and worked with the idiosyncratic Dundee poet Michael Marra on the album Michael Marra. Though Lee spends most of her time playing classical music, she also plays across all art forms and a wide musical spectrum. She has played for theatre, dance and film and performs and records regularly with Scotland's jazz and folk luminaries and is also Chief Patron of the Perth Youth Orchestra.  In 2009 she further explored the territory of improvised music, collaborating with painter Alan Kilpatrick to perform an improvised live installation piece at the Fleming Gallery in London Mayfair.  In January 2012, Lee performed with former Cream bass player, Jack Bruce with Mr McFall's Chamber at Celtic Connections.

At Celtic Connections 2013, Lee further expanded her musical range, playing at the Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, with India Alba alongside two classical Indian musicians, Gyan Singh and Sharat Chandra Srivastava and two Scottish musicians; virtuoso on pipes and whistles, Ross Ainslie and renowned instrument maker and performer Nigel Richard. After playing as a guest in the band's line-up at both the Solas and Insider Music Festivals in June 2013, Su-a agreed to a permanent position with the band.

Some musical critics have regarded a number of Lee's projects as "challenging and experimental"; projects "pushing musical and performance boundaries".  In April 2012, her musical saw playing came to the attention of Eric Clapton, resulting in a request to record her at British Grove Studios. Lee has performed in countries and venues in both the Northern and Southern hemisphere including some unorthodox and unconventional locations including Japanese temples, circus tents, waterfalls – and even special concerts for babies.

Award Nominations