Considered a “new breed of instrumental specialist,” (New Music Buff) Dr. Catherine Lee offers “immaculate, masterful oboe playing” (The Double Reed) in combination with inspired and discerning musicality across an impressive range of genres and styles. Her “deep understanding of the expressive possibilities of her instruments in both traditional and extended techniques” (New Music Buff) leads to the flow of “fresh, unencumbered musical ideas” (The Double Reed) that characterizes her dynamic performance.
Naturally inquisitive and eager to push the boundaries of oboe performance technique, Lee actively commissions evocative new music that showcases her “ravishing, declamatory tone and absolute control over her instrument.” (Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review) An expert performer of oboe, English horn, and oboe d’amore, Lee has extensive experience in classical, contemporary, interdisciplinary collaborations, and free improvisation settings. Lee is part of the Re:Soundings trio which performed Roscoe Mitchell’s seminal work Nonaah at the Park Ave Armory (NYC, 2019) and whose recording of the piece is available on “Roscoe Mitchell and Ostravaska Banda” (WideHive Records, 2020). Lee is on faculty at Willamette University, holds a Doctor of Music in Oboe Performance from McGill University (Montreal, Quebec), and certification from the Deep Listening Institute (New York).