Cellist Andrea Lee made her orchestral debut at age 16 as the winner of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Competition in her native Michigan. She is the cellist of both the Lunatics at Large, the New York Times has described as “young, energetic and finely polished, with a sense of humor about their generally sober repertory,” and the indie-classical band Build, whose sound has been praised for its “genre-traversing mix of chamber-music decorum, rootsy twang and pop-fueled drive” by Time Out New York. Build’s critically-acclaimed eponymous debut EP was released on the New Amsterdam label and subsequently re-released by Naxos. As an active freelancer in New York City, she has appeared this season with The Knights, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, and Arcos Chamber Orchestra. She has participated in many festivals in the U.S. and Europe including Taos School of Music, Spoleto Festival USA, IMS Prussia Cove, Holland Music Sessions, and Banff. Her love for chamber music has led her to work closely with members of the Tokyo, Takacs, Guarneri, Borromeo, and Cleveland Quartets, as well as collaborate in performance with members of the Borromeo, Jupiter, and Miami Quartets.
Ms. Lee resides in New York City, where she is a Teaching Artist in the New York Philharmonic’s School Partnership Program and on the faculty of the Turtle Bay Music School. Her principal teachers include Richard Aaron, Yeesun Kim, and Timothy Eddy, and in masterclasses, she has received further guidance from Janos Starker, Anner Bylsma, and Ralph Kirshbaum. She has earned degrees from Yale College, New England Conservatory, and Mannes College. Additionally, she recently completed a yearlong course with Frans Helmerson at the School of Music in Piteå, Sweden. Apart from her more traditional music activities, she has performed live with Sufjan Stevens and recorded for the band Vampire Weekend.
