Colleen Lee

“….magnificent, heavenly touch……filled with poetic and profound emotion” - Il Giornale di Vicenza

Since winning the 6th Prize of 15th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition, Colleen has performed extensively throughout Asia, Europe and North America. She has also been a featured artist at several international music festivals including the International Chopin Festival in Duszniki and Gdansk in Poland; the Assisi International Piano Festival in Italy; Meissen Pianoforte Festival in Germany, International Keyboard Festival in New York, Bowdoin International Music Festival.. Her performance of the ‘Magic Piano and Chopin Shorts’ animation series at the 42nd Hong Kong Arts Festival had garnered rave review.

Colleen has collaborated with major international orchestras such as the Galacia Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Gui Yang Symphony Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio, and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra among others. She was the Artist Associate/Piano of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for the 2010/2011 Season and went with the orchestra on its tour to South America, performing in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

She is an avid chamber music lover and appearing in chamber music concerts including the 2nd Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival, the Musicusfest in 2013/2014, HK University Chamber Gems and concert presented by Hong Kong Chamber Society. She has also collaborated with RTHK Quartet and the Shanghai Quartet.

Born in Hong Kong, Colleen started her piano lesson at the age of four. Subsequently she was trained at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under the celebrated pedagogue Ms Eleanor Wong since she was seven. After completion of her Bachelor of Music Degree in 2003, she was awarded scholarship from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund and the Bernard Van Zuiden Scholarship to further her studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Median in Hannover with Professor Arie Vardi. Colleen was the recipient of many international awards besides her success at the Chopin Competition, including First Prize at the 3rd Seiler International Piano Competition in Kitzingen, Germany, the 2003 Dorothy Mackenzie Artist Recognition Award, Third Place and Critic and Audience Prizes at the 15th International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Cantú, Italy, Price Winner of the 1st Hong Kong International Piano Competition, the Pro Musicis International Award, Gina Bachauer International Artist Competition Award, Sendai International Music Competition award, and was Laureate of the 16th Santander International Piano Competition in Spain. In 2006 the Fryderyk Chopin Institute released Colleen’s all Chopin album recorded with the Pleyel Piano, and an all Scarlatti Sonata CD was released by Naxos in August 2008.

In recognition of her outstanding achievements in music and in the promotion of arts and culture, Colleen has been awarded Certificate of Commendation by the Secretary of Home Affairs in 2004, Commendation for Community Service by the Hong Kong Government in 2006 and Young Artist Award by the Hong Kong Art Development Council in 2008.

Currently Colleen is the Honorary-Artist-in-Residence of the Hong Kong Institute of Education and on the piano faculty of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.