C. Kenneth Lee

------------ASCAP Composer Award Finalist (ASCAP獎決賽選手作曲家)& CalArts Capitol Records/ EMI Composition CD Competition Nominated Asian-American Composer, C. Kenneth Lee, pianist, actor and Torrey Pines Idol Finalist Singer(TP Idol 獎決賽選手歌手) began as a New Age artist. His first single,"An Ocean Of Memories" became popular on iTunes in 2006. Lee is also best known for his 2 lead acting and singing roles in the California Institute Of Music Musicals as “Rolf” in (2004-5)“The Sound Of Music” and as “the prince”in (2005) “Cinderella” out of the 9 theatre and film roles. Lee also starred in The Los Angeles Original Musical Cast Premiere with Meredith Monk and Ann Hamilton in (2008)“Songs Of Ascension” at REDCAT in The Walt Disney Concert Hall(洛杉磯的Walt 迪斯尼音樂廳) as well as being a diversed up and coming recording artist.--------------------- ASCAP Composer AWARD FINALIST, C. Kenneth Lee started composing at the age of 10 and was a student of Dr. Steven Hoey, a Charles Ives Scholarship winner. Lee has also studied composition with Wolfgang Von Schweinitz, Augusta Read Thomas, David Rosenboom, Meredith Monk, Michael Jon Fink, Barry Schrader, Michael Pisaro, Michael Scott Mcbride,Matt Mcbane(Carlsbad Music Festival Founder and Director), Helmut Lachenmann, Thomas A. Brown, Michael Weinstein, and many others. Lee has attended The National High School Music Institute of Northwestern University,Chicago, California Institute of Music, The Eastern US Music Camp at Colgate University and The Walnut Hill School. Lee now studies with American composer,Michael Pisaro at The California Institute of the Arts near Los Angeles. Lee started playing piano at the age of 4 and has been taking piano lessons from Hei-ock Kim, a Ph.D at the Catholic University of America and with degrees from Princeton University and The Juilliard School. Lee has studied chamber music with Irina Tseitlin at The California Institute of Music. Lee is classically trained in voice. He is also a trainned actor and known in lead acting roles of the "Prince" in "Cinderella"(2005), "Rolf "in "The Sound of Music"(2004-5), and the salesman, conductor and ensemble roles in "The Music Man"(2005) in 9 shows in Poway Center for the Performing Arts, Neurosciences Auditorium and Pt. Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. Apart from singing in various choirs since 1996, Lee has studied privately with vocal teachers, Jimmy Chan from the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and Alla Markovich of Calfornia Institute of Music. Lee sang a Mozart Aria with the California Institute of Music Southern California Sinfonietta Orchestra on January 29, 2006 for the Mozart's Birthday Concert at Pt. Loma Nazarene University. Lee received The California Institute of Music's "Creative Student Leadership Award" from Michael Tseitlin, the chairman of the institute. Apart from guest featuring, Lee has had his own concerts in the United States,Hong Kong and Australia with Lee's 2007 concert featuring Jane Vercelli(daughter of composer Leroy Anderson) as the MC. Lee has been doing various volunteer works in San Diego since 2004. Lee has volunteered as a pianist and vocalist at Sunrise Alzeimer's and Nursing Homes in San Diego, participated in St. Peter's Church's annual fundraising fashion shows. The sales proceeds went to help people in Kenya and Mexico. Lee worked with the children in the Torrey Pines High School Kindergarten in 2006 . He helped start a music therapy class in The Torrey Pines High School Special education Department from 2005-2007. Lee hosted 2 concerts featuring the talents of the Special Education department. Lee founded the Music Composers,Songwriters and Art Critics Association and was the founding Chairman from 2005-2007. He hosted and performed in a concert featuring various artistic talents from the school. Lee was the finalist of the 2007 Torrey Pines Idol Singing Competition. After a year of resting from acting in 2006 to promote"Metamorphosis", Lee landed on the role of "James the Anabaptist" in "Candide"(2007) which was performed at TPHS Black Box Theater. Lee said,"I feel like every role i was in was either , a prince, gentleman,duke in a fairytale story. I want to try other roles and more serious acting." In Candide, Lee gets his first death scene. Lee released a fundraiser cd in mid 2006,"Metamorphosis(original orchestral music live from Northwestern University of Chicago)"(a portion of the sales goes to Best Buddies International) and a fundraiser CD,"Breakaway" in late 2007 featuring German composer, Wolfgang Von Schweinitz, Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick from the California EAR Unit, and Marc Lowenstein.as well as live performances at Roy O'Disney Hall"(an album dedicated to his aunt, Leticia Cheung, who passed away in September 2007, a portion of the sales goes to the American Cancer Society) Lee has been featured in several news articles such as the Carmel Valley news,Del Mar Village Voice, Rancho Santa Fe Review and The Falconer. Lee has also been featured twice on the Australia 2CR China Radio Network with host Dj Julian Tsui on FM.95.1 and twice on The Los Angeles Radio KCIA 105.3FM.Lee also assisted The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and The Carlsbad Music Festival. Apart from studio/live songwriting and orchestral/chamber writing, Lee has also done some film scoring. Lee's music ranges from classical,avant-garde,film-score inspired, new age , pop/rock to Broadway Musicals. Before turning 20 years old, Lee has done all of the above and has worked and collaborated on stage and in recordings with musicians such as David Rosenboom , Meredith Monk , Allan Vogel principal oboe player from The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra , Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick , Susan Allen , Katie Geissinger , Ellen Fisher , Ching Gonzalez , Allison Sniffin , Todd Reynolds Quartet , Kathyrn Pisaro , Amy Knoles , Wolfgang Von Schweinitz , Paul Vorwerk , NHSMI Orchestra at Northwestern University, Calarts Orchestra , and other ensembles, choirs and artists. In 2008, Lee was announced a finalist of The 9th Annual ASCAP Morton Gould Composer Award. Lee sang with the Calarts Vocal Fourteen in "The Music & The Voice" with The Amina Claudine Myers Trio on Friday, September 19,2008.8:30pm at REDCAT in The Walt Disney Concert Hall. Part of The Herb Alpert Creative Music Series. Lee also landed on a role in The Los Angeles Premiere of Meredith Monk’s (2008)”Songs Of Ascension” which premiered at REDCAT in The Walt Disney Concert Hall on October 29,2008.