Bio
Described as “full of imagination and technical expertise,” Andrew McKenna Lee’s music is an organic synthesis of contrasting elements from a variety of styles and influences. A native of Charleston, SC, Andrew began his musical studies on the guitar at age twelve and soon after went on to pursue composition. In recent years, his music has been performed by such ensembles as the Brentano String Quartet, The American String Quartet, ensemble ereprijs, Talujon, the New Jersey Symphony, Kroumata, Proteus, Janus, and eighth blackbird. Upon the premiere of his orchestral work Vortices by the New Jersey Symphony, The New Jersey Star Ledger praised the work’s “hard edged contrasting orchestral color” and proclaimed, “Lee's command of his style must be respected. His orchestration is precise, the composition balanced with clear directional goals and the means to get there."
His works have been presented at many festivals, including the International Music Festival of Toroella de Montgrí, Spain, International Gaudeamus Week of the Netherlands, the Stockholm Arts and Sciences Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. His music has also been heard on WNYC’s New Sounds series with host Jonathan Schaefer and featured in a segment of New Hampshire Public Television’s weekly broadcast, New Hampshire Outlook.
As a guitarist, he has given solo recitals and performances in venues such as New York City's Symphony Space, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, BAM Café, the Harris Theatre of the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida, The Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, the Royal University College of Music in Stockholm, and in conjunction with the Aspen Music Festival. He has also collaborated in live performances with other artists, including renowned bassist Mark Dresser, cellist Frances-Marie Uitti, the New York based chamber ensemble Janus, and composer Steven Mackey. An upcoming CD release on the New Amsterdam Records label will feature Lee’s own performances of solo and chamber works for nylon string and electric guitar.
After completing his undergraduate work in composition at Carnegie Mellon University in 1997, Andrew went on to obtain his Master’s degree in 2000 from the Manhattan School of Music. He has received awards and fellowships from the New York Youth Symphony, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the South Carolina Arts Council, the Aspen Music Festival, Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, ASCAP, and the American Music Center. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in composition at Princeton University.