Tenor Simon K. Lee was born in Busan, South Korea, where he began his musical training. He moved to Italy where it was discovered that he had a natural affinity for the verismo style. Carlos Montané and Mtro Ubaldo Gardini gave him confidence that his voice suits Verdi and Puccini.

Mr. Lee went on to perform a recital at the first annual Festival Notte Musicali Modenesi in Italy. Mr. Lee then moved to the United States where he participated in the Sherrill Milnes Opera Program and while there worked with Sherrill Milnes and Inci Bashar.

Under the direction of world-renowned opera singers Jennifer Larmore and Giacomo Aragall, Mr. Lee continued his career to include his Carnegie Hall debut for Haydn’s Paukenmesse with the New England Symphony, Giles Corey in Crucible, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Calaf in Turandot, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Alfredo in La Traviata, Radames in Aida, Duke in Rigoletto, Manrico in Il Trovatore, Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera, Rodolfo in La Bohème, 3rd Jew in Salome, Luigi in Il Tabarro, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and even a rarely heard Verdi opera the I Lombardi in his Chicago Premiere with the da Corneto Opera as Arvino.

Mr. Lee has appeared in the leading tenor roles with companies in the US, Europe as well as in Asia. Mr. Lee has performed with such companies as Singapore Lyric Opera, Busan Natoyan Opera, Opera New Hampshire, Vail Opera, Palm Desert Opera, the Gold & Treasure Coast Operas, Panama City Opera, Utah Festival Opera, da Corneto Opera, Chamber Opera Chicago, Chicago Festival Opera, Kansas City Puccini Festival, Opera North Carolina, Opera Tulsa, Sunstate Opera, Teatro Lirico D’Europa and World Classical Musical Society. A two-time recipient of awards from the National Bel Canto Foundation, Mr. Lee has utilized his flair with Italian music to his advantage in scores of solo concerts and recitals around the Midwest, including a gala concert in which the musical artists of North and South Korea performed together on the same Chicago stage for the first time.

In 2016-18 his engagements included Radames in Aida, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Il Duca in Rigoletto, and Don José in Carmen with Teatro Lirico D’Europa and numerous concerts throughout the United States. He also appeared as the Opera singer for Jane Austen’s Persuasion – Musical Drama with Chamber Opera Chicago’s UK and Canada tour in 2013 through 2018 include Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Mr. Lee lives in Woodridge, IL.