LEE Sara began her piano studies at the age of six and studied for several years with SHIN Soo-Jung, winning several regional competitions in South Korea. She then moved to Russia Federation for her further studies in piano at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and has won many awards from the conservatory including the “Outstanding Performance Awards.”
She is the multiple prize winner and has participated in numerous international piano competitions such as Cincinnati World Piano Competition (Grand Prize) and Lee University Piano Festival and Competition (1st Prize) in Tennessee, U.S.A, Citta di Barletta (1st Prize) in Italy, Austria International Chopin Piano Competition (2nd prize and Best Performance Prize), Prokofiev International Piano Competition (1st Prize), Lyon International Piano Competition, Busoni International Competition, George Enescu International Competition, Verona International Piano Competition and Kerikeri International Piano Competition in New Zealand.
Sara has given recitals in Moscow (Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory), Seoul (Kumho Art Hall, Mozart Hall), Salzburg (Mozarteum Wiener Saal), Halle, Germany (Handel Karee Haus), France (Lyon Conservatoire, Academie Internationale de musique de Colombes), Italy (Palazzo Nicolaci, Accademia Pianistica Siciliana) and New Zealand (Auckland Town Hall).
She has received masterclasses with acclaimed pianists such as Dimitri Bashkirov, Andrej Jasinski, Pavel Gililov, Epifanio Comis, Boris Berman and she is the recipient of Brevard Music Centre Festival Scholarship.
jason bae | founder & music director
©Ashley Koo
Jason Bae is the Founder & Music Director of Afflatus Ensemble and has recently finished his two-year role as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Conducting Fellowship Programme Conductor in 2020/21. Jason made his debut in Stockholm, conducting the Aurora Festival Orchestra - presenting the Swedish premiere of "Violent, Violent Sea" by the American composer, Missy Mazzoli. Last year, Jason gave the New Zealand Premiere of Lotta Wennäkoski's "Nosztalgiaim" with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra National Youth Orchestra.
He has received masterclasses with renowned conductors such as Osmo Vänskä with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Jorma Panula with South Denmark Philharmonic Orchestra, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Vaasa City Orchestra, Hamish McKeich, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Holly Mathieson and Gemma New with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Formerly trained as a pianist, Jason received his Master of Arts in piano performance with the highest distinction award, 'DipRAM' at the Royal Academy of Music in London studied under the Professor Emeritus Christopher Elton and Joanna MacGregor in 2015. Jason studied orchestral conducting and was mentored by Jukka-Pekka Saraste.
@jasonbae1029
