The University of Chicago’s Center for Contemporary Composition is pleased to announce Dongryul Lee as the 2020-21 Postdoctoral Researcher at the rank of Instructor in the Division of the Humanities. Lee will develop new works to be premiered by the Grossman Ensemble and other guest artists during the upcoming season. He will also teach an undergraduate course, provide music lessons, and participate in the Center’s workshops and events.
“Dr. Dongryul Lee’s works are alluring, sparkling, thoughtful, and carefully crafted. Each work has a unique concept, which he researches deeply and personalizes. Our committee found him to be an exceptionally inspiring talent and we are thrilled to welcome him into our collaborative and positive creative community,” said University Professor Augusta Read Thomas, Director of the CCCC.
Lee’s music is deeply oriented around acoustical phenomena and virtuosic classical performance practice. He finds inspirations in spiritual, poetic, and scientific sources. With these elements, along with his background in computer science, Lee seeks to write music that creates profound aural experiences with both dramaturgy and pathos.
Lee was the recipient of third prize in the first Bartók World Competition, and has received numerous other awards for his compositions, including the Special Prize Piero Pezzé in the Competition Città di Udine in Italy in 2018 and Second Prize in the 3rd GMCL Competition in Portugal in 2017. He is currently a DMA candidate in music composition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His work has been performed by ensembles such as the Avanti!, Paramirabo, Contemporanea, Jupiter, MIVOS, Conference Ensemble, Callithumpian Consort, and S.E.M. in numerous cities across Europe and North America. Lee’s upcoming projects include a new work for solo violin written for the New York based violinist, Miranda Cuckson, and a new work commissioned by the Callithumpian Consort to be performed during SICPP 2021 and the Callithumpian season 2021-2022 in Boston.
“I was really surprised when I first heard from Professor Thomas that I was being awarded the Fellowship. It is an extremely rare opportunity for a composer to fully immerse in the creative processes while connected to rich, innovative, and exceptionally supportive artistic environments. I have admired and studied works by UChicago faculty composers; they are masters of rich and colorful harmony which I like the most!” said Lee.
“I attended multiple performances by the marvelous Grossman Ensemble, and I was stunned by the level of commitment and enormous virtuosity of the ensemble. I eagerly look forward to joining this dynamic and inspiring community.”
Lee’s work for the Grossman Ensemble is scheduled to premiere in June 2021 at the Logan Center for the Arts as part of a concert with three other world premieres. Lee serves as the fourth Postdoctoral Researcher of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition, a position previously held by Ashkan Behzadi, Tonia Ko, and Aaron Helgeson.