Kristin lee violinist biography of william

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Violinist Kristin Lee presents American Sketches, her debut full-length recording.

The album has a personal resonance for Lee; a native of Seoul, South Korea, she emigrated to the US at the age of seven, where playing the violin became a refuge from the challenges of moving country and its culture shocks.

As a foreign-born citizen of the US, Lee was compelled to select repertoire to express her pride in the country she now calls her own.

She has recorded works by American composers Amy Beach, Henry ‘Harry’ Thacker Burleigh, James Louis ‘J.J.’ Johnson, Scott Joplin, Thelonious Monk, John Novacek, Kevin Puts and Jonathan Ragonese, that have a distinct and recognisable sound of American music and its rich history.

Lee speaks to The Strad about the influences behind her album.

You’ve mentioned that playing the violin was ‘your voice’ when