Biography

Pianist Junghwa Lee, a native of Korea, performs actively in solo recitals, chamber concerts and lecture recitals, and has frequently appeared in concerto performances as a soloist and has presented solo performances in 16 countries.

Winner of many competitions in Korea, including Sonyun-Hankuk-Ilbo, Wolgan-Eumak, Seoul National University Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the Korean Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Lee received the Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, along with the Max Landow Memorial Scholarship and the Liberace Foundation Scholarship for Performing/Creative Artists. As an active collaborator as well as soloist, she received the Excellence in Accompanying Award from the Eastman School.

Lee recorded the Complete Piano Works by Frank Stemper which has been released by Albany Records titled BLUE13. The CD has received a Gold Medal from Global Music Awards. In addition, it has been selected for Global Music Awards Top Ten Albums 2015.

Lee has performed Clara Schumann’s works commemorating her bicentennial throughout 2019, including a music festival in Chile, international artist series in Thailand and Singapore, at Frederick Historical Piano Concert Series in Massachusetts playing 1846 Streicher, as well as at various venues and recital series in the Midwest. She recorded Clara Schumann’s select piano works that was released in March 2021 by Centaur Records titled Clara Schumann: Piano Works, which has been awarded a Gold Star in June 2021 from "Music & Stars Awards," an international online music competition based in Barcelona, Spain. She has presented Clara Schumann’s piano works at the College Music Society (CMS) National Conference,  Illinois State Music Teachers Association (ISMTA) State Conference, "Performing Clara Schumann" Conference at Cornell University in 2019, and Clara Schumann’s Solo Piano Works and Preludes at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Virtual Conference in 2020.

With her interest in promoting music for young students and the community, she has initiated and directed music events, such as the Hays Spring Music Project and Scholarship Musicale in the Hays, Kansas area. As a dedicated teacher as well as performer, she has taught at many clinics, festivals and masterclasses, and organized the Fort Hays State University (FHSU) High School Piano Competition and the FHSU Summer Piano Camp, and directed the Cottonwood Music Project, a weeklong chamber music outreach program and concerts in the Hays, Kansas area. She is currently Director of SIU Summer Piano Camp and Competition, as well as Director of Southern Illinois Piano Festival.  

Lee received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance from Seoul National University. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. 

She has served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano at Oklahoma State University and Assistant Professor of Piano at Fort Hays State University. Lee is Professor of Piano at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.