YooBin Lee, DMA, is a violist and educator whose work spans performance, teaching, contemporary music and creative projects. Her performances have taken her to concert halls across the United States and internationally, including Carnegie Hall and the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
An active orchestral and chamber musician, Lee is a tenured member of the Sarasota Orchestra and serves as Principal Viola of the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with ensembles including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, among others. She has received prizes and recognition in competitions including the New York Artists International Competition and the Korea Art Music Competition and was a finalist in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Competition.
Lee has a strong interest in contemporary music and collaboration with living composers. As principal violist of the Illinois Modern Ensemble, she collaborated with composers including Tania León and Samuel Adler and participated in performances and premieres of new works. Her work in contemporary music has included premieres such as Angélica Negrón’s Azul Naranja Salado and Dongryul Lee’s Underwater Comet.
Lee serves on the faculty at Colorado Mesa University and as education director of the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra. In these roles, she works with young musicians and develops educational opportunities that connect students, schools and the music community. Her previous teaching appointments include State College of Florida, Knox College, Bowling Green State University and Millikin University. Her teaching focuses on technical freedom, musical individuality and helping students become independent musicians.
Beyond performances and teaching, Lee's interests include craftsmanship and technology. She has studied bow making and rehairing and explores creative technologies, including app and website development and illustration. She is the creator of Cute-ronome, a metronome app designed to make everyday musical practice more engaging.