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Okkyung Lee is a Korean musician based in the USA, born in 1975 in Daejeon, South Korea. She arrived in Boston in 1993, where she studied classical piano and cello. It was during this time that she first encountered the music of jazz legends like Miles Davis and John Coltrane, prompting her to explore their works. Lee graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1998 with a dual degree in contemporary writing and production and film scoring, and later earned a master’s degree in contemporary improvisation from the New England Conservatory of Music. She moved to New York City in 2000 and quickly became part of a vibrant downtown music scene that challenges traditional music conventions. In recognition of her contributions, she received a Foundation for Contemporary Arts grant in 2010 and a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award in 2015. Lee is known for her unique sound, which blends her traditional roots with free improvisation. Since 2016, she has led the Yeo-Neun Quartet, which includes Maeve Gilchrist (harp), Jacob Sacks (piano), and Eivynd Opsvik (bass). Her work with this ensemble, influenced by traditional Korean music, is showcased in her album "Yeo-Neun," released in 2020 on Shelter Press.

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