David Chungin Lee is a percussionist, educator, and performer currently based in Los Angeles and New York City.

Born in Eugene, Oregon, Lee was first introduced to music in the form of the piano. He started his journey into percussion performance after learning the drum set at the age of seven while his family lived in Seoul, South Korea. After moving back to the states when he was in middle school, Lee discovered the joys of classical percussion while in his school band in Seattle, Washington. Lee went on to be a member of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra at the age of 14. During his time with the SYSO, Lee received the opportunity to work with former Seattle Symphony Music Director, Ludovic Morlot and was inspired to continue studying music as a career. At the age of 17, Lee won numerous prizes at state competitions and was awarded the John Philip Sousa Band Award for outstanding achievement and interest in school instrumental music.

As a soloist, David Lee has premiered many new works, in collaboration with internationally acclaimed percussionist, Pius Cheung. With Cheung, Lee has premiered Tesla’s Harmony, Verano Porteno (trio version), and Yuen. David Lee has worked with legendary percussion professor and composer, Michael Udow, performing alongside Udow in his piece, Coyote Dreams, with distinguished percussionists Eriko Daimo and Casey Cangelosi. David Lee has been featured on Innovative Percussion Inc.’s social media for his performances of Cello Suite V: Prelude by J.S. Bach and Gene Koshinski’s percussion duet, As One. In 2018, Lee was the winner of the Eugene Symphony Guild Young Artists Competition and performed Emmanuel Sejourne’s Concerto for Marimba and Strings with the symphony. Lee recently recorded and premiered Heaven and Earth, a ballet set entirely to percussion music composed by Pius Cheung.

Lee has also performed with groups as varied as the OrchestraNext, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Eugene Ballet Company, and In a Landscape. Recently, Lee collaborated with designer, director, performer, and puppeteer, Basil Twist in David Geffen Hall’s Open House event performing improvised percussion music through sound painting.

As a strong proponent of music education since his teenage years, Lee was a volunteer tutor for the Seattle Music Partners at age 15, teaching underserved children, building their skills as future percussionists. Lee has also led multiple percussion masterclasses across the state of Oregon, teaching high school percussionists fundamentals of solo and ensemble repertoire. Lee hopes to one day become a professor of percussion to continue to educate and inspire young percussionists.

David Lee has studied with Michael Burritt, Pius Cheung, Eriko Daimo, Matt Drumm, Billy Drummond, Gunnar Folsom, Mark Goodenberger, Beth Lenz, Aaron McDonald, Kendra McLean, Robert Van Sice, Miho Takekawa, Third Coast Percussion, Michael Udow, and Bill Wanser. Lee graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Music degree under the tutelage of Dr. Pius Cheung and The Juilliard School with a Master of Music degree under the tutelage of Professor Dan Druckman and Markus Rhoten. Lee is currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California studying under Professor Joseph Pereira. Lee’s work is influenced by his additional studies in world music, jazz, composition, and conducting. A noted collaborator with fellow percussionists and musicians, Lee recently worked in collaboration with composer Eunike Tanzil for her premiere of “Hide and Seek” for marimba duet.