Witness this world-class ensemble—violinist Nancy Zhou, cellist Angela Lee and pianist Melinda Lee Masur—in a powerful program of F. Haydn, I. Stravinsky and B. Smetana. The intimate dialogue, virtuosic playing and dynamic storytelling will make this chamber concert an experience to remember!
The Lee Trio
Nancy Zhou, violin
Angela Lee, cello
Melinda Lee Masur, piano
Since its critically acclaimed Wigmore Hall debut in 2002, The Lee Trio's "gripping immediacy and freshness" and "rich palette of tone colours" [The Strad] continue to move audiences and critics around the globe. The Trio's awards include the Recording Prize at the Kuhmo International Chamber Music Competition in Finland and the Gotthard-Schierse-Stiftung grant in Berlin for rising international artists. The Trio has given recitals and masterclasses in cities from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, San Francisco, New York and Toronto to London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, Kiev, Cluj-Napoca and Leipzig. The Lee Trio has performed as soloists with orchestras such as the Shanghai Philharmonic, Kiev Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Shenzhen Symphony and the Macao Youth Symphony. The Trio's tours of China have included recitals in Hong Kong, Macao, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Shanghai, at the Zhongshan Culture and Art Center, Hong Kong's City Hall Theatre and Lee Hysan Concert Hall, recordings for RTHK4, Hong Kong's classical broadcast radio, and a guest appearance on the televised program, Music of Friends.
The Lee Trio is passionate about working with and performing the music of living composers. As a recipient of the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music Musical Grant, the Trio commissioned and premiered Nathaniel Stookey's Piano Trio No. 1 in 2009. Other works by Uljas Pulkkis, Philip Lasser, Laurence Rosenthal, Jerry Bilik, Julian Yu, Sylvie Bodorova and Richard Pantcheff have been given their world, American and European premieres by The Lee Trio. The Trio served as the first Ensemble-in-Residence of the Chelsea Music Festival in New York City, giving the world-premiere performance of Jane Antonia Cornish's "Duende" there in 2010 and releasing Duende on the Delos label in 2014 to critical acclaim. The Trio's recording of D. J. Sparr's "Lost in the Old South Tower" was recorded at Skywalker Sound and released in an album entitled HARD METAL CANTÜS on Innova Records in 2020.
Educating the next generation of musicians is integral to the Trio's mission. In addition to giving masterclasses at schools and universities at home and abroad, the Trio regularly performs outreach and concerts in areas where the arts have little or no exposure, partnering with organizations like BRAVO Youth Orchestras and Music Camp International. The Trio was the first classical ensemble to perform for students at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy located in the heart of Las Vegas' most at-risk neighborhood. Other schools visited in recent years include the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. and the Oakland School for the Arts. Humanitarian trips to teach music and work with underserved youth have taken The Trio to Ukraine and Romania. Each member of The Lee Trio is a recipient of the California State Assembly Recognition for Exemplary Service to the Community and have served on the faculty of institutions such as San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Chicago, Boston University, the BUTanglewood Institute, San Francisco-based Young Chamber Musicians, MasterWorks Festival and the Zephyr International Chamber Music Academy in Italy. The ensemble taught and performed at University of Utah as its 2017 Resident Chamber Music Ensemble as well as the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj, Romania. The Trio also had the pleasure of serving as the Distinguished Visiting Scholars in the Performing Arts at Gordon College in 2018, and during 2023, served as Ensemble-in-Residence at Concordia University in Wisconsin, collaborating in concert with members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. The Trio stays committed to partnering with universities and other organizations to use music and the arts to further the well-being of local and global communities.
During the pandemic, The Trio continued giving performances, masterclasses, presentations and interviews virtually for institutions including the Fulbright Association, Columbia University Arts Access, Wellesley College, The Resonance Project, Avaloch Farm, National Cello Institute and Young Chamber Musicians. Of note was the first edition of the "Online Originals" episodes, titled Beethoven Express, for Chelsea Music Festival's live stream launch on YouTube. The Trio also commissioned two new piano trios by Edmund Finnis and David Conte, which culminated in world premiere performances in 2021 and 2022. As recipients of the InterMusic SF's Musical Grant Program, The Trio will be releasing a new album entitled Midsummer Night Magic in June 2024.
The Lee Trio took part in the worldwide celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven's 250th birthday in 2020 with its debut at the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, Germany just before the pandemic hit. The Trio had the distinguished honor to perform for German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Leo Baeck Institute during her official visit to New York City in 2010 as well as for former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt in 2014 at Leipzig's historic Peterskirche in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the peaceful revolution and reunification of Germany. Since 2022, numerous performances have been given to raise funds and awareness in support of Ukrainian refugees.
Nancy Zhou | Guest Violinist
Lauded as one of today's probing musical voices, Nancy Zhou harbors a robust presence that seeks to invigorate appreciation for the art and science of the violin. Her thoughtful musicianship resonates with a global audience in such a way that brings her on stage with leading orchestras around the world.
Nancy has collaborated with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Würzburg Philharmonic and Finnish Radio Symphony; Shanghai and China National Symphonies and Hong Kong Philharmonic; and San Diego and Kansas City Symphonies, among others. Alongside projects as a soloist, she harbors a keen interest in chamber music and music education. She has performed for the Tanglewood, Verbier, Ravinia Festivals and, for various online platforms and workshops, presented masterclasses on fundamental training and cultivating mindful awareness critical to performance.
Nancy has explored works outside the traditional oeuvre. In collaboration with the New Jersey Symphony and conductor Xian Zhang, she presented Zhao Jiping's first violin concerto at Alice Tully Hall and gave the premiere of Unsuk Chin's "Gran Cadenza" for two violins with Anne-Sophie Mutter across the US; in the forthcoming season, she will perform Chen Qigang's "La joie de la souffrance" with the Rogue Valley Symphony and embark on a five-city tour with the major orchestras of China.
American-born, Nancy commenced violin studies with her father, later studying with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory while simultaneously pursuing her interest in literature at Harvard University. She serves on the collegiate violin faculty at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Additionally, she is an Associated Artist at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and Artist-in-Residence of the Santa Cruz Symphony.
Angela Lee | Cellist
A graduate of The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music, cellist Angela Lee is a recipient of a Fulbright scholarship to study in London with William Pleeth, a grant from the Foundation for American Musicians in Europe, the Jury Prize in the Naumburg International Cello Competition, and a cello performance fellowship from the American-Scandinavian Foundation. She is a founding member of The Lee Trio, which has commissioned and premiered works of numerous living composers. Using music to foster peace and goodwill, she has made humanitarian trips to the Republic of the Philippines and the former Yugoslavia. While on a U.N.-sanctioned tour of six war-torn cities throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina, she performed for NATO troops and displaced civilians. In addition to coaching chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Ms. Lee serves on the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra Alumni Association Leadership Council and on the Board of Directors of The Resonance Project (https://music-resonance.org), which promotes empathy through live music.
Melinda Lee Masur | Pianist
Lauded for her "impeccable technique and artistic interpretation" [The Columbian], pianist Melinda Lee Masur has performed on all three stages of Carnegie Hall, at London's Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room, the Berliner Philharmonie, Boston's Symphony Hall and at the Ravinia Festival. She has performed with such artists as Augustin Hadelich, Alban Gerhardt, Fanny Clamagirand, Adrian Brendel and Thomas Quasthoff, and is a founding member of The Lee Trio, celebrated for its "gripping immediacy and freshness" [The Strad]. A graduate of Harvard University and Hannover Hochschule für Musik, Melinda serves as Director of Piano Chamber Music and Co-Director of the Young Artist Piano Program at the BU Tanglewood Institute. Together with her husband, Ken-David Masur, she is Artistic Director of the Chelsea Music Festival (chelseamusicfestival.org), an annual summer music festival in New York City praised by The New York Times as a "gem of a series" and frequently featured amongst its Best Classical picks of the season.
Melinda Lee Masur is a Steinway Artist.
To stay in touch with The Lee Trio, please visit YouTube, Facebook or IG @theleetrio3.
Senior Programs are made possible in part by generous contributions from the Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund, the John R. Schwabacher Family, as well as many other individual donors. We are grateful for their generous support.
Tuesday, May 7
1:00–2:00 PM | Doors open at 12:30 PM.
Linger after the concert for free beverages and snacks in the lobby.
Purchase tickets online or at the door.
Albert and Janet Schultz Cultural Arts Hall (Bldg F)
Early Bird by April 29: $15 | $25 after April 29 and at the door
Contact: Michelle Rosengaus | [email protected]
Purchase Tickets