‘Piano prodigy’ Nathan Lee wins e-Piano Junior Competition

June 23, 2015

Thirteen-year-old Nathan Lee won the international e-Piano Junior Competition in Minnesota last Thursday.

Lee, who hails from Sammamish, Wash., took home the $8,000 grand prize from a pool of 20 contestants.

The contest — which invites classical pianists under age 17 — gathered talents from the U.S., South Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Russia, Taiwan and Canada.

The competition is held under an event by the University of Minnesota’s School of Music, the International Piano-e-Competition, and only permits the use of a Yamaha Disklavier reproducing pianos.

Lee, whose Korean name is Lee Hong-won, placed No. 1 in 2013 in the Music Teachers National Association Junior Piano competition.

In 2012, after winning the Seattle Symphony Young Artists Auditions, he performed with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.