Jihye Lee - Composer and Bandleader

About Jihye Lee

Jihye Lee is a Brooklyn-based composer, arranger, and conductor. Possessing a highly personal, idiosyncratic touch and knack for musical storytelling, she’s made waves in the New York scene and beyond. Lee’s innate musical talent is a testament to her unique composing journey that led her to be exceptionally original and her ability to immerse herself in her artistry. Not afraid of vulnerability, Lee's compositions stem from a deeply personal place, evident in her critically acclaimed albums Daring Mind (2021) and April (2017). Lee's upcoming work, Infinite Connections, blends Western music with traditional Korean rhythms, exploring themes of grief, the cycle of nature, ancestral ties, and womanhood. Lee's innovative storytelling approach to composing, hailed as "imaginative and creative" by her longtime mentor Jim McNeely, has been recognized by the New York Times, The Guardian, BMI, the Korean Music Awards, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, hr Big Band, various universities, and many more, cementing her status as a trailblazer in contemporary jazz.

Suggested Listening

• April by Jihye Lee Orchestra

• Daring Mind by Jihye Lee Orchestra

• Infinite Connection by Jihye Lee Orchestra (to come in 2024)