Meet Stephen Lee: Flutist, Educator, and Composer
Stephen Lee is a Hong Kong native who grew up in Seattle, Washington, USA. He began playing the flute at age 14. During his high school years, he received numerous awards for his talent. He also had the privilege of live performances broadcasted on KING FM 98.1 classical radio in Seattle. Later, he earned scholarships from the University of Washington. There, he studied with world-renowned wooden flute expert Felix Skowronek. Stephen graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Flute Performance in 2000. In 2010, he was awarded the Trinity Guildhall LTCL Flute Recital Diploma.
Busy in Hong Kong: Teaching and Performing
Stephen Lee relocated back to Hong Kong in 2007. Since then, he has been busy teaching and performing. He currently serves as a faculty member at both the Hong Kong Flute Centre and PURE Orchestral Centre. Stephen also conducts the St. Louis Secondary School Orchestra. As a freelance flutist, he performs with the Gustav Mahler Orchestra and Hong Kong Symphonia. With his diverse talents, Stephen is also highly sought-after in the pop music field. Recent collaborations include ‘The Fairy Tales of Serrini’, ‘TWGHs E Major Ensemble “The Giving Tree” Concert’, and ‘Anita Mui 10th Anniversary Concert’. He has also recorded original soundtracks for Hong Kong TV dramas like ‘Every Step You Take’, ‘The No No Girl’, ‘Heart and Greed 3’, ‘OMG, Your Honour’, and ‘The Man Who Kills Troubles’.
Promoting Music Through Chamber Groups
Stephen founded three distinct chamber music groups. These are “Hong Kong Chamber Flutes,” “Project M0Ch3,” and “Trio IS2.” His goal is to promote flute choir, contemporary music, and classical flute-violin-piano trio music. Stephen is the founder, artistic director, and chief conductor of the flute choir. Furthermore, in “Project M0Ch3,” Stephen teamed up with pianist Christine Cheng. Together, they aim to promote Contemporary Classical Music to the Hong Kong audience. He also collaborated with violinist Stephen Lam and pianist Irene Chan in “Trio IS2” to promote classical style trio music for flute, violin, and piano.
Composer and Music Arranger
As a composer, Stephen Lee writes both Cantopop and Classical music. He has composed and arranged pieces for solo flute with piano, flute ensembles, and flute choir. His flute trio piece, “Tango for Three,” was notably a finalist in the Flute View’s Contest for Composers 2015. The Flute View Trio world-premiered this piece. In 2017, Stephen served as assistant music director and music arranger for the Hong Kong original musical drama, “Mencius Sings Around The World.”
Inspiring Students Through Western Flute Culture
One of Stephen’s key teaching philosophies is to introduce Western flute culture to his students. He has led them on tours to the National Flute Association Convention in the US, one of the world’s largest flute events. These trips included Las Vegas (2012), Washington DC (2015), Minneapolis (2017), and Salt Lake City (2019). Stephen is already planning the NFA Convention tour for Chicago (2022), continuing his dedication to student exposure.