Singaporean violinist Gabriel Lee’s career spans multiple dimensions, from captivating performances across diverse musical genres with both baroque and modern violins to pioneering new horizons in the Southeast Asian music scene as an educator and entrepreneur. His playing has been described as having a “breathtaking intensity, grabbing listeners by the lapels without letting go,” and “a passion and concentration that was hard to surpass” (The Straits Times).
Gabriel’s solo recitals have resonated across the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar, while his collaborations as a soloist include esteemed ensembles such as the Baltimore Baroque Band, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Red Dot Baroque, Resound Collective, Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers, Malaysia Bach Festival, Jakarta Festival Orchestra, PSPA International Ensemble, Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, and the Peabody Conductor’s Orchestra. He is also sought after as an orchestral musician, having won a first violin position with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and freelanced professionally with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra and the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.
As a baroque violinist, Gabriel has performed solo with Enrico Onofri and the Resound Collective, Baltimore Baroque Band, Red Dot Baroque, Malaysia Bach Festival and the Jakarta Festival Orchestra. He has also performed in the Wilmington Bach Festival, Amherst Early Music Festival, Music at St. Bartholomew’s series, and collaborated with UMBC’s Camerata Chamber Choir. He studied with Risa Browder and played in masterclasses with Lucy van Dael, Ryo Terakado, Julie Andrijeski and Emlyn Ngai.
A passionate educator, Gabriel is the Managing Director of the SEA Music Academy Online, teaches chamber music at the YST Conservatory of Music, and serves as violin faculty at the School of the Arts (SOTA). In addition, he coaches the violin sections of the NUS Symphony Orchestra and the Tanjong Katong Girls School String Ensemble. His students have won prizes in international competitions and gained admission to prestigious conservatories around the world.
Gabriel has conducted masterclasses and coached ensembles across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. He has served as an adjudicator for competitions such as the Alessandro Giuliani Violin Competition, Euroasia Strings Competition, NAFA Concerto Competition, Singapore International Music Competition, Asia Arts Festival, and NAFA strings exams. He is also a member of the ABRSM Music Education Advisory Committee and the Forte Product Council.
Gabriel’s scholarly work reflects his dedication to artistic research. He has published and presented research at renowned conferences and journals, including the Australian and New Zealand Viola Society Journal, Australian Strings Association’s Stringendo Magazine, Juilliard Symposium, ABRSM Music Teacher Conference, Princess Galyani Vadhana International Symposium, and The Performer’s Present International Artistic Research Symposium.
Recognition for Gabriel’s achievements includes awards and scholarships such as the JC Van Hulsteyn Award in Violin and the Paul Abisheganaden Grant for Artistic Excellence. He graduated with two Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance and Baroque Violin Performance from the Peabody Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music (Hons) degree from YSTCM as Valedictorian of his cohort.
Gabriel performs on a 1902 Giulio Ettore Degani violin, generously loaned from the Rin Collection.