Internationally known soprano Yunah Lee and award winning jazz pianist Yoonah Oh have collaborated to produce these modern jazz arrangements of classic hymns. Yunah's operatic voice is brilliantly highlighted by Yoonah's natural and free keyboard style.


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Yunah Lee, Soprano

Lyric soprano Yunah Lee is thrilling audiences in the U.S., Europe and Asia with her “handsomely colored full lyric sound” (OPERA NEWS) and “picture perfect” acting (BERKSHIRE FINE ARTS). Recent performances in the title role of Madama Butterfly were hailed in Germany as “a revelation… [her] voice unites the girlish innocence and the wistful sensuality [of Cio Cio San].” (ONLINE MUSIK MAGAZIN) “...thoroughly captivating, above all thanks to Yunah Lee, who is utterly convincing in mood and presentation… a commanding and touching performance revealing the highs and lows of Butterfly’s emotions.” (DAS OPERNGLAS)

Last season, Ms. Lee joined New York Metropolitan Opera and made her company debuts with Opera Quebec and the Glimmerglass Festival in the title role of Madama Butterfly. The previous season included performances with the Boston Lyric Opera (Madama Butterfly) and Opera Carolina (The Magic Flute, Pamina) as well as a solo recital at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City and a concert tour in Japan.

Most recently, Ms. Lee made her company debuts with Utah Opera (Madama Butterfly), Tampa Opera (Madama Butterfly), Michigan Opera (Madama Butterfly) and Seoul Philharmonic (Eugene Onegin, Tatyana).

Yunah Lee made her European opera debut in the title role in Madama Butterfly with Stadttheater Bern in Switzerland. She immediately returned to Europe to appear in concert with Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain, and then to New York City Opera as Mimi in La Bohème. She made her debut in the role of Cio Cio San in her hometown in New Jersey, and repeated the role over 150 times in venues including Virginia Opera, Grand Rapids Opera, Central City Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Carolina, Minnesota Opera, New York City Opera, Staattheater Bern, Staattheater St Gallen, De Vlaamse Opera, Staattheater Braunschweig, Opera Ireland, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Quebec and Dallas Opera.

Ms. Lee made her New York City Opera debut as Micaëla in Carmen after having sung the United States premiere of the contemporary opera Kinkakuji with them. She later returned to perform the roles of Mimi, Zerlina, and Dew Fairy, and to cover Gretel, Antonia and Liù. Ms. Lee toured Taiwan as Mimi, which she repeated in over 70 performances with New York City Opera, Cleveland Opera, Boheme Opera, Opera Roanoke, Aspen Music Festival, and made a company debut with the Korea National Opera.

Ms. Lee made her debut with São Paulo Opera as Micaëla in Carmen, which she repeated with the New York City Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Tokyo City Orchestra. Ms. Lee's other performances include Marguerite and Liù with Minnesota Opera, her debut in the role of Leila in Les Pêcheurs de Perles with Cleveland Opera, as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Palm Beach Opera, the title role in Rusalka with the National Opera of Korea, and as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin with Seoul Philharmonic.

Ms. Lee's past performance roles include Nedda in I Pagliacci, Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Adnia inL'elisr d'amore, and Juliette in Romeo et Juliette.

As an active concert singer, Ms. Lee has sung Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Haydn Creation, and Bach St. Matthew Passion with the New York Oratorio Society at Carnegie Hall, and Verdi Requiem with National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall. Ms. Lee was invited to appear as a soloist in the Great Mountain Music Festival, where she performed works of Rodrigo, Villa Lobos, Handel, Earl Kim and George Crumb. Ms. Lee made a debut with Hiroshima Symphony performing Mahler Symphony No. 2, in the memorial concert of the 60th year after the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima. The same season saw her solo recital in Los Angeles at USC’s Newman Hall, a KMF Virtuoso Concert at Alice Tully Hall with pianist Warren Jones, and her European concert debut with the Pablo Picasso Orchestra in Malaga, Spain.

Ms. Lee made her solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall and at Ho-Am Recital Hall in Seoul, Korea, followed by a national tour of 5 cities in South Korea. Ms. Lee was also featured in the Christmas Concert with Beijing National Symphony in China, in recitals with Shanghai Symphony and Seoul Arts Center, and in concert with Tokyo City Orchestra. Ms. Lee's first recording of “Four Seasons in Korea” with I Musici was released on the Arcadia label.

Born in Daegu, Korea, Ms. Lee is a former member of Juilliard Opera Center and earned her Master's Degree at The Juilliard School and Bachelor's Degree from Hanyang University as a full scholarship student. Ms. Lee also studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. Ms. Lee received First Prize in the Mario Lanza Competition and in the Verismo Opera Competition and was a finalist at the Belvedere Competition in Vienna, Austria.

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Yoonah Oh, Piano

Combining her strong background in classical and jazz, Yoonah Oh brings a fresh perspective to her music.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Yoonah Oh grew up in a musician family and completed her undergraduate degree in classical composition major at Hanyang University. When she was 16 years old, Yoonah won the 2nd prize at Seoul CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) contest, and shortly after, she began participating in numerous music albums as a session musician, as an arranger, and as a chorus singer. During her college years, Yoonah began to invest her time to explore different styles of music and did not limit herself to classical music, the field of her major. She also participated in numerous Korean Pop (K-POP) albums as a piano/keyboard session musician and as an orchestra arranger. Her contributions included successful albums of some of the most renowned Korean singers, including Kyuchan Cho, So Eun Lee, Woo Won, and Ash.

Yoonah has written numerous popular songs. “With All My Heart”, one of her ballads, won the grand first place in the prestigious Jae Ha Yoo Song Festival. Yoonah’s love and passion for music did not stop there. She wanted to creatively intertwine different styles of music, particularly with jazz.

After receiving a B.M. degree from Hanyang University in 2007, Yoonah moved to the United States to study jazz at Berklee College of Music. Yoonah was honored with the entrance award, the Berklee North America Scholarship. At Berklee, she earned a diploma in Jazz Composition and Piano Performance (Cum Laude). She learned from and worked with famous figures, including Joanne Brackeen, Hal Crook, Tim Ray, Jetro da Silva, Scott Free, Bob Pilkington, Greg Hopkins, and Jeff Garlindo. By working with these experienced musicians, Yoonah’s music grew immensely in a short period of time. Her musical talents and endless efforts earned her the Piano Department Achievement Award, the CJ Foundation Scholarship, and the Berklee Achievement Scholarship as a student. Another highlight among all the recognition Yoonah received as a gifted musician was being given the opportunity to have a concert at Berklee Performance Center, a venue open to only a few talented musicians.

Yoonah’s musical journey continued outside of school. She quickly became one of the most in-demand pianists in the New England area, owing to her versatility on various styles of music, including jazz, funk, gospel, R&B, pop, rock and classical music. In 2010, she became an integral part of Streets Band, with whom she performed across the New England and eastern area.

Yoonah has extensive recording experiences and more CD albums are to be released in the near future. For one of her recent works, ‘Grace sings Grace, Grain Offering’, she collaborated – as a composer, arranger, and performer – with Mr. Tally Sherwood, a Grammy Award Winner.

Yoonah’s performing grounds include jazz clubs, concerts, and conferences across the country (please refer to her discography for details).

Currently, she is a pianist at La Vie En Rose Band, First Korean Church in Cambridge (FKCC), and Boston Ballet.


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