By pwalt | May 7, 2017 |

MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH: LALA LEE

Classic Concerts NS is thrilled to introduce you to our newest (and youngest) Musician of the Month: Meet May’s MOTM, pianist Lala Lee!

Lala Lee, age 17, is a grade 12 Honors with Distinction student, a Sacred Heart Scholar and a Celine Hatherly Scholar. Currently a student of Lynn Stodola, she will be moving to Toronto in the fall to study with John Perry at the Glenn Gould School of Music.

A three time winner of the Doctor Piano and Yamaha Canada Piano Rose Bowl from 2015-2017, LaLa placed third in the National Music Festival in Edmonton in 2015. She is also the winner of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, a Nova Scotia Talent Trust Scholarship Recipient, a Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund Scholarship Recipient, a three time winner of the LAMP Piano Prize (Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance) from 2015-2017, and a two time winner of the Tietje Zonneveld Award (for excellence in classical piano) in 2015 and 2016. 

Last November, Lala gave a sold out, standing room only solo recital at the Music Room Chamber Players Series. She recently received high acclaims for her performances of Schumann’s Piano Concerto with Chebucto Symphony Orchestra, Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto with the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals with Symphony Nova Scotia, as well as Mozart’s Piano Concerto #20 with Symphony Nova Scotia on March 5th, 2017, marking her solo debut. 

1.What is your idea of perfect happiness? Sleeping. And rainy days.

2. Who do you look to for musical inspiration? I would have to say that I draw inspiration from everyone. It is very hard to decide on one particular person who stands out above them all. 

 3. What is something people would be surprised to know about you? I sing as well as Florence Foster Jenkins. Unfortunately, I also sing as much as FFJ (only at home…I won’t be debuting at Carnegie any time soon).

 

4. What else besides music would you do, all things being possible? I would love to work in a panda sanctuary/have a pet panda and hang out with pandas all day long! Although giant pandas are preferred over red pandas, either will do.
 
5. What is your favourite place to eat in Halifax? My favourite place to eat in Halifax, aside from my mom’s kitchen, would probably be at 9+Nine in Clayton Park. They make the best authentic Chinese food in Halifax that makes you feel like you’ve travelled across the pond! Definitely go there on an empty stomach and prepare to over eat!

 
6. Which pianist (dead or alive) would you most like to share a meal with and why? I would love to share a meal with Rachmaninoff and praise him for the beautiful music he wrote. More importantly, I would also love to yell at him for making all his piano repertoire insanely difficult for pianists with small hands.

7. What are you looking forward to this summer? This summer I am very excited to be performing alongside Mark Lee and Ben Marmen for the Three Churches Series on August 27th. The programme includes piano trios by Beethoven, Smetana, and Arensky.

8. Who is your favourite Canadian composer? My favourite Canadian composer would have to be Christos Hatzis. Although I am not the biggest fan of contemporary music, Hatzis has a very unique voice and has given me an appreciation for modern music.

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