Christopher Collins Lee is an American Grammy Award-winning violinist, concertmaster and conductor. At 16 he became the youngest student of famed violinist Zino Francescatti, travelling with him throughout Europe on the final concert tours. He studied violin and composition at Curtis and Juilliard earning a doctorate degree, then won a Fulbright Scholarship to study with Nathan Milstein in London. His other teachers were Henryk Szeryng and Arthur Grumiaux. As an educator he has been awarded four Honorary Doctorate degrees internationally.
He has received the top prizes in the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition, the Tibor Varga Competition, the J. S. Bach International Violin Competition, The Lion D’or given by the French government, a Guggenheim Grant, a Fulbright Scholarship, and The Fritz Kreisler Prize.
As an “Official Musical Ambassador” of the U.S. Department of State, Christopher Lee has played thousands of concerts worldwide under their auspices, including over fifty solo tours to Asia alone. He introduced classical music to parts of Tibet, Singapor and the island of Macau. One of his recordings was chosen to represent human culture on the Voyager Time Capsule, which is now leaving our solar system.
A thoroughly well-rounded musician, Christopher continues to be a favorite soloist, concertmaster, and collaborative chamber music player at major festivals around the world such as Aspen, Marlboro, Mozarteum, Maggio Musicale, Cervantino, Lincoln Center, and City of London festivals. Ian Hodgeson wrote in Strad Magazine, “He is a communicator, drawing the listener into each composer’s world. He distills a kind of musical essence.” The New York Times termed Christopher Lee “an impressive, stylish violinist with something very special to say,” The Daily News, “his playing was a joy as always.” The Tass News Agency praised him for “an expressive big technique, with musical insights to match, placing him in the front rank of today’s top violinists.” Musical America twice listed him on their annual “Ten Young Musicians to Watch List“, and legendary violinist Nathan Milstein said “Christopher Lee has the most beautiful violin sound of his generation.”
As violin soloist, Christopher Collins Lee has performed the major concerti with such conductors as Leopold Stokowski, Leonard Bernstein, Lucas Foss, Sergiu Commissiona, and Arthur Fiedler to name only a few. Works which have been premiered by him, (some also in their first recordings) include Aaron Copland‘s “Ballades for Violin and Piano” with Leonard Bernstein playing the piano; Variations from the opera, “Daphne” by Richard Strauss; Darius Milhaud‘s “Second Sonata”; “Final Alice” by David del Tredici; and the “Concertino” by Xavier Montsalvadge at an internationally televised gala attended by the octogenarian composer and the King of Spain, still frequently rebroadcast. Christopher Collins Lee has recorded for CBS, Desto, Everest, Delos, Arista and the Quattro Corde record labels. His popular concert and lecture series on “Mozart’s Life and Times” are in great demand. He plays the celebrated “Accardo” violin made in Parma, Italy by J. B. Guadagnini in 1747.
