A native of Korea, Okkyung Lee has been developing her own voice in a contemporary cello performance, improvisation and composition. Using her solid classical training as a springboard, she incorporates jazz,
sounds, Korean traditional and pop music, noise with extended techniques to create her unique blend of music.
Since moving to New York in 2000, she has performed and recorded with numerous artists such as Laurie Anderson, Derek Bailey, John Butcher, Carla Bozulich, Nels Cline, Chris Corsano, Axel Dörner, Fred Frith, Carlos Giffoni, Vijay Iyer, Thurston Moore, Ikue Mori, Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris, Marina Rosenfeld, Wadada Leo Smith, C Spencer Yeh and John Zorn to name a few.
Okkyung has released the following albums: Nihm on Tzadik; a duo recording with Christian Marclay Rubbings on My Cat is an Alien/a Silent Place; a solo cello album I saw the Ghost of an Unknown Soul and it
Said... on Ecstatic Peace!; a trio album with Steve Beresford and Peter Evans, Check for Monsters on Emanem. Resently she finished working on Noisy Love Songs, her follow album on Tzadik (due out early 2011), limited LP recording with Phil Minton, Anicca for Dancing Wayang (due out later in 2010). Also she has recorded a trio album with Evan Parker and Peter Evans and a duo album with Paul Lytton, both due out on Psi.
She has received a composer commission from New York State Council on the Arts in 2007 and Foundation for Contemporary Arts grant in 2010.
