Today we’d like to introduce you to Seowon Lee.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in the countryside in Korea. In a small town that smelled like rice fields, who would’ve thought a violinist would come out of there? But somehow, by pure chance (or maybe fate!), I came across the violin — and after a “what is this?” moment, I completely fell for it.
For the first few years, I took casual lessons at a local music school. But as time went on, I started taking it more seriously. I began traveling hours by bus to take lessons, and when I got older, I even flew to Seoul regularly to study. It was exhausting at times, but oddly enough… I kind of enjoyed the adventure.
I kept holding on to the violin (sometimes barely!), and eventually music became my career. One thing led to another, and I found myself studying abroad to do my master degree in Indiana, USA. It had always been my dream to study abroad since I was a child. Fast forward to today — I’ve finished my doctorate in Dallas, Texas, and now I teach at a college, perform with the Dallas Opera, and also work with young students.
Best of all, I get to do all this while living happily with my wonderful husband and our adorable cat, Hadong.
Sometimes I still ask myself, “Did I really make it all the way here?” I mean, who would’ve guessed that a girl from a small Korean town would end up in the U.S., performing, teaching, and building a life around music? I’m still learning, still practicing, and — thankfully — still loving every bit of it.
So, if there’s a takeaway from all this… maybe it’s that the violin really can change your life. And that yes — even a kid from the countryside can grow up and make something pretty amazing. Haha!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, the language was a huge challenge. Like most international students, I had to study way more than others just to keep up with classes and get through exams. And even though I absolutely loved playing in orchestra, getting rejected from auditions over and over really knocked down my confidence. At the time, none of it felt very pretty.
But now that I look back, I see those moments were actually what helped me grow. They pushed me forward, and they were all important steps that got me to where I am today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a violinist based in Dallas, and I play with The Dallas Opera—a job that means a lot to me. I got the offer at a time when I was seriously thinking of moving back to Korea. Getting that “yes” changed everything—it gave me new hope and reminded me why I love what I do.
I love playing in orchestras and also find so much joy in teaching students. Being far from my family hasn’t been easy, and there were a lot of tough moments as an international student. But those struggles shaped who I am. I’m proud of the journey I’ve taken, and I think what makes me different is the heart I bring into both music and teaching—because I’ve learned to hold on, even when it’s hard.
What are your plans for the future?
I know it might sound a little bold—or even a bit rude—if someone says they don’t have a plan. But looking back on my life so far, most of the meaningful things didn’t happen according to my plans. In fact, they often came at unexpected times and in ways I never imagined. And somehow, they always turned out better than anything I could’ve planned myself.
Now, I can say this with a bit more confidence: God’s plans have always been greater and more beautiful than mine. And moving forward, I want to keep trusting in that—to keep following wherever He leads me.
