Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeong Hoon Lee.
Hi Jeong, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a native of South Korea, and my musical journey began at the age of 10. One day, I was watching a television program and heard a gentleman play some instrument, and it looked amazing to me. After the day I saw him, I pestered my mom to let me start learning the shining small thing since I did not know the name of the instrument. It changed my entire life.
Even though there was a time I had to pause playing the flute, I eventually kept building my educational foundation at the MokwonUniversity in Daejeon, South Korea. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree with Academic Honors, I decided to move to the United States to pursue further studies. I earned my master’s degree and Performer Diploma from Indiana University at Bloomington under the guidance of Kathryn Lukas. In 2014, I started my Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas, where I was a Teaching Fellow under the mentorship of Mary Karen Clardy. In my last year, 2022, my educational journey was finally concluded by the published research paper, “TexuKim’s Le Temps Déformé for Solo Flute, Percussion, and Strings: Background and Analysis.”
While I was pursuing my doctoral degree, I won first prize at both the American Protégé International Competition (2017) and the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition (2019). I am also recognized as the most distinguished musician at IBLA Grand Prize, a well-established European competition.
Additionally, I have maintained an active presence in chamber music, serving as Principal Flute of the Dallas Asian Winds and as a member of the Dallas MusiK Societyand Dal-Asian Flute Choir.
I love being a dedicated educator as well. I served as an Adjunct Faculty of Flute at Dallas College at Northlake Campus in Irving, TX. I am also teaching at several institutions in the DFW area, including Centennial High School, Trinity High School, Harwood Jr. High School, and Lawler Middle School. After I earned my doctoral degree last year, my expertise has been expanded to be invited to hold masterclasses at Southeastern Oklahoma University.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This question evokes a memory of the first year leaving South Korea. Similar to many other international students, I moved alone to pursue my studies. Everything had to be done alone by myself, but there was nothing that happened easily.
However, when every semester was finished, I could feel how much I had improved to get closer to my goal. I could forget everything when I was playing the flute. Different language, new culture, and homesickness do not matter at all when I have focused on music itself.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
My career as a flutist begun with the Absolute Orchestra under the direction of world-renowned cellist and conductor Hanna Chang. Since then, I have performed various world’s most distinguished venues, including Carnegie Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Expo Arts Hall, the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, and the Murchison Performing Arts Center.
Most recently, I held the honor of performing my solo recital at Lincoln Center on June 17th. I feel so lucky because there are not many musicians who have performed at the most prestigious venues in the U.S. – Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and performing at even one of these venues is already a lifetime honor for professional musicians.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Throughout my academic journey, what I learned the most is music has to keep performing and sharing with people. The composed music on papers is nothing. When I play it, it becomes something to live and touch audiences’ life and heart. Since I want to be a musician who can introduce or invite everyone to music, I am planning to have concerts as many as I can to share my musical ideas and variety of repertoires.
This summer, I will appear with the Dallas MusiK Society, as part of the University of North Texas International Summer Music Institute, and in a Dal-Asian Flute Choir at the National Flute Society. And I am excited to be appointed as a clinic coordinator of the Texas Flute Society for the 2023-2024 season.
I hope that my depthless knowledge, passion, and skill will captivate more audiences and nurture the next generation of musicians.
