KPR Live Studio regular Po Sim Head returned to the station with special guest, Kowoon Lee, for a morning of unique piano playing. The pair sat side-by-side to play pieces composed for four hands, written by composers from Hong Kong, South Korea and Latin America.
Dr. Po Sim Head is a highly accomplished pianist and musicologist who was born in Hong Kong. She has an impressive educational background, having received her undergraduate degree in Music Composition and Production from Hong Kong Baptist University, her master's degrees in Piano Performance and Musicology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and her doctorate degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Kansas, where she studied under the renowned Dr. Scott McBride Smith. With over 20 years of teaching experience, her students have become active participants in piano recitals, festivals, and competitions. She is also an active member of local music teacher associations and is frequently invited to judge in local and international competitions.
A native of South Korea, pianist Dr. Kowoon Lee debuted as a concerto soloist at the age of 16. She has since performed internationally, including in South Korea, the United States, Puerto Rico, Italy, and Czech Republic, and with many orchestras and ensembles. As a strong advocate of new music, Dr. Lee has been working with many renowned living composers, such as Chen Yi, Gabriela Ortiz, James Mobberley, Juri Seo, Karen Tanaka, and Vera Ivanova, to name a few. She recently co-founded Duo Confluence, a flute and piano duo that dynamically merges both Asian and Jewish culture into exciting and informative concerts. Duo Confluence’s first project is entitled “Homeland,” which celebrates music by underrepresented composers, and includes concerts in Puerto Rico.
Biographies courtesy of the musicians.
The pair have arranged a few performances to take place in October and November. Take a closer look at their performances in the videos below.
Additional content from the KPR Live Performance Studio is available on KPR's YouTube channel.
