Trey Lee

Hailed as a “miracle” by Gramophone, Trey Lee was praised by BBC Music Magazine for his “exquisite delivery” and “intoxicating intimacy” in his globally released album with the English Chamber Orchestra. The late Lorin Maazel praised him as “a marvelous protagonist…a superb cellist” after conducting Lee with the Philharmonia Orchestra. His debut at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage won him a standing ovation, with New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini declaring him “the excellent cellist…with enveloping richness and lyrical sensitivity.” A frequent guest on major international stages, Lee’s recent and upcoming appearances include the Beijing National Centre for Performing Arts, Finland’s Kuhmo Chamber Music, London’s Cadogan Hall, Milan’s Duomo, Paris’s Salle Gaveau and Warsaw’s La Folle Journée. His concerto highlights feature collaborations with the NDR Radio Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, Sinfonia Varsovia, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, and the English and O/Modernt Chamber Orchestras. Lee has additionally performed under the baton of such celebrated conductors as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yuri Bashmet, Hannu Lintu, Jia Lu, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Vassily Sinaisky, Leonard Slatkin, Dima Slobodeniouk, and Huichang Yan. Furthermore, his extensive orchestral partnerships span the Philharmonics of the BBC, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Radio France, Tapiola Sinfonietta, alongside the Camerata Salzburg, Moscow Soloists, the chamber orchestras of Munich and Stuttgart.

As a versatile artist, Lee also re-arranges works to critical acclaim. His reworking of Astor Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires and Wang Liping’s The Dream of the Red Chamber Capriccio premiered with the Trondheim Soloists and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, respectively. Dedicated to expanding the cello repertoire, he has given world premieres of Bright Sheng’s The Blazing Mirage and Kirmo Lintinen’s Cello Concerto, both written specifically for him.

Lee first gained international prominence as a laureate of major competitions, winning First Prize at the International Antonio Janigro Cello Competition alongside top prizes at New York’s Naumburg and Helsinki’s Paulo competitions. Beyond live performance, his recorded legacy spans several acclaimed albums under EMI and Signum, and he is the featured soloist on the soundtrack for the Sundance-nominated film The Drummer.

As an ambassador for UNICEF Hong Kong, Lee shared the stage with Yoko Ono and Hugh Jackman at the UN General Assembly Hall to launch The IMAGINE Project, advocating for children’s rights. Deeply committed to promoting cross-cultural collaboration, he is the founding artistic director of Musicus Fest and Musicus Soloists Hong Kong. Lee has been featured by the Financial Times, CNN, Corriere della Sera, and Deutsche Welle. After completing The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, he earned degrees from Harvard College, the New England Conservatory, and the Cologne Musikhochschule under the tutelage of Frans Helmerson, Laurence Lesser, Bernard Greenhouse, and Ardyth Alton.

Lee plays on the 1703 “Comte de Gabriac” cello by the Venetian master maker Matteo Goffrill.