Miri Lee

Location:

Palo Alto
United States 94303

Contact:

www.pianistmiri.com
pianistmiri@hotmail.com

Additional Info:

Pianist & Organist Miri Lee: A Musician's Life

From her very first music lesson at the tender age of five, Vancouver & Palo Alto based pianist Miri Lee has coaxed and conjured beautiful melodies out of a multitude of keyboard instruments. An award-winning accompanist, sought-after teacher and soloist (once handpicked to perform in a national radio broadcast), Miri lives a life rich in music.

EARLY YEARS
Even during her elementary school years in Korea, Miri excelled as an accompanist for her choir, who won their first-ever award under her direction. Miri’s eventual move to Canada did not quell her musical aptitude; instead, she began lessons with Edward Parker and clarinet studies at Como Lake Junior High School. Accompanied by the junior high school’s concert band, Miri’s clarinet concerto concert garnered her local recognition, culminating with her acceptance of the school’s award for Most Outstanding Musician.

HIGH SCHOOL
Her high school years were characterized by musical performance, both in ensembles and as a soloist. Miri participated in nearly every music program the school had to offer –jazz band, concert band (where she was appointed clarinet section leader and with whom she performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue), jazz vocal ensemble, concert choir, and chamber choir– and her talent and commitment did not go unnoticed. As a senior high school student, Miri was twice awarded the award for Most Outstanding Musician, the first time in the school’s history that a student had been granted this honour for two consecutive years.

UNIVERSITY
Armed with a district scholarship in performing art, Miri entered the piano performance program at the University of British Columbia, receiving guidance and direction from an impressive roster of eminent pianists, musicians, and scholars. For the first two years of her Bachelor’s degree program, she studied piano performance with Dr. Terence Dawson; for the final two years of her Bachelor’s and the entirety of her Master’s degree, she received tutelage from Dr. Eugene Skovorodnikov. Chamber coaches included Dr. Foley, Rena Sharon, Peter Barcza, Jane Coop, Andrew Dawes, and Alexander Korsantia. Miri participated in master-classes with the gamut of renowned pianists, including Boris Berman, Seymour Lipkin, James Tocco, and Vadim Monastyrski. In the summer of 2003, Miri participated in the prestigious Summit Music Festival in New York where she studied piano with Pavel Nersessian and received private chamber coaching with the cellist David Krieger.

ON STAGE
Miri provides piano accompaniment for professional-level singers and instrumentalists who rely on her intuition and skill for crucial competitions, recitals, auditions, and exams. As she’s done since elementary school, Miri exercises her accompanist muscle for numerous ensembles, including the EnChor Choir, Tri-City Choir, UBC Honour Jazz Band, Vancouver Girls’ Choir, Surrey Children’s Choir, and the ever-boisterous Broadway Chorus. Miri frequently volunteers her time to play concerts at senior’s residences, schools, and church events. She was invited to a Leukemia Foundation Event to perform in a benefit concert, and the Evergreen Theatre as a guest pianist to play for their grand opening ceremony. On several occasions, Miri performed her own unique arrangements of the National Anthem on the celebrated stage of the Orpheum Theatre– not to mention the Bell Centre for the Arts and the Chan Centre. She dazzled audiences in multi-piano concerts with Pianos Galore and continues to do so in her annual recital at the Vancouver Art Gallery Out for Lunch Series. Last year, Miri has also appeared in Sonic Boom's British Columbia New Music Series, and premiered a piece called "Piano War" written by Vancouver based composer Kil Mo Choi. Also, Miri was featured on TV as a pianist collaborating with Soprano Michelle Koebke with numerous favourite opera repertoire for the City Opera Recital Series.

MUSICAL DIRECTION
Musical direction comes naturally to Miri, who, as director of music at Burnaby’s All Saints Anglican Church and St. Alban's Anglican Church, quickly mastered the church’s organ and challenging organ repertoire like Charles Marie Widor’s famous Toccata from Symphony 5 and Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstances 1. Today, As Minister of Music at Gilmore Park United Church, Miri plays piano and pipe organ and conducts the chancel choir and worship band. Miri holds an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto Music performer’s diploma and teaches piano from her Vancouver studio. Her students consistently gain high marks in piano competitions and Royal Conservatory of Music exams. Starting from September, Miri is joining the Vancouver Opera as their pianist.

TODAY
Besides her life at the keyboard, Miri loves reading, playing with her dogs (Louie and Happy), ballroom and salsa dancing, and strumming the harp under the tutelage of professional harpist Rita Costanzi. She is an in-demand wedding accompanist and the winner of numerous trophies and scholarships from piano competitions. In 2005, Miri was selected by CBC Radio to perform in a national broadcast.

Instruments

Piano, Organ, Electronic Keyboard

Specialisms

Early Music, Contemporary Music, Jazz, Improvisation, Instrumental Accompaniment, Vocal Accompaniment, Vocal Repetiteur, Musical Theatre, Musical Direction

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