Seoeun Lee

“I think everything I experience inspires my artistry. I want to express everything I see, hear, smell, touch, and feel with my music. I also want to express all the emotions of joy, anger, love, and sorrow with my music.” Seoeun Lee started playing the piano at the age of 6: she happened to pass by a piano academy near her house in Suwon, was attracted by the sound, and entered the piano academy holding her mother’s hand. She progressed very quickly and says she started dreaming of becoming a pianist in earnest just a year later, after seeing 2009 Cliburn Silver Medalist Yeol Eum Son perform. She has had great success in competitions, including eight first-place finishes in Korea. In 2021, she made both her recital and concerto debuts in Seoul, and was selected as a culture and arts scholarship recipient by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation. Seoneun currently studies with Yejin Nho and likes watching piano concert videos on YouTube and attending live concerts in her free time. Knowing that physical health is of vital importance to a performer, she also practices Pilates to develop flexibility, relieve stress, and serve as a mood changer. She comes to the Cliburn Junior wanting “to experience harmony with friends from all over the world through music; I hope those experiences can help me develop into a more sincere and mature musician.”