Yuri Lee

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From June 26th–July 6th, I traveled to Hidden Valley in beautiful Carmel Valley, California, for what is aptly described as a "festival of collaboration." Each of the ten selected composers arrived with a newly written chamber work, which was rehearsed, refined, and developed throughout the week before receiving a wonderful premiere and professional recording at the festival's conclusion.

This summer’s composition faculty was incredible: Steven Mackey, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Amy Beth Kirsten, and Alistair Coleman. Each led seminars on their compositional process and offered invaluable career advice, in addition to one-on-one lessons where we revised our chamber works and discussed previous compositions. To spend each day surrounded by composers of this caliber—who were not only extraordinary artists but also unbelievably kind, generous, and supportive—and to be able to pick their brains about new musical ideas while learning from their experiences was an invaluable opportunity.

Unlike most festivals I have attended, the composers were also mentored by the incredible performers. At every rehearsal, they offered thoughtful and honest feedback on our writing for their instruments, introducing us to new technical possibilities while suggesting practical notation improvements. The collaborative process was refreshingly open and candid, pushing me to write music that is not only playable, but that truly captures the unique character of each instrument, allowing it to elevate my musical ideas to a new level of emotional depth.

Learn more about my piece, In This Short Life!

I was also inspired by the remarkable diversity of musical philosophies and compositional styles represented among the ten composers. It was wonderful to reunite with composer friends from previous festivals—Cashel, Alex, and Toussaint—while also forming new friendships with Catherine, Vivian, Mitchell, Ealaf, and Yangfan.

Young composers, you can have this experience too. Apply!

I am thrilled to share that I have been named this year’s winner of San Francisco Choral Artists’ New Voices Project for Composers Under 30! I’m deeply grateful and excited for the opportunity to have my choral work brought to life by SFCA this summer.

Although my classical training has focused primarily on composition and violin—with singing as a secondary but longstanding part of my musical life, shaped by seven years in the choirs of the Juilliard Preparatory Division—I discovered an unexpectedly profound connection to choral music at Princeton, where I’ve had the joy of performing with several vocal ensembles, including the Princeton University Glee Club, Chamber Choir, Vocal Consort, Decem, and the Princeton Footnotes. I am especially grateful to Gabriel Crouch and Mike McCormick for their inspiring direction and mentorship over the past three years, which have shaped my growth not only as a singer, but also as a choral composer.

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