my bio...

Jon Lee is a professional guitarist, music educator, and photographer. He was born in Seoul, Korea and moved to Vancouver, Canada at the age of 14. He has been working as a musician, music educator, and photographer in Canada and many places around the globe. He has recently moved to New York City for performing music, teaching music, studying privately with Randy Johnston, and completing his master’s degree at New York University.


He first began learning and playing classical music on the piano at the age of 10, and swiched his instrument to the guitar when he was 12. He started his first band with hardrock and performed at many places in the early 90s. For professional musical development, Jon Lee moved to Boston, MA and studied Jazz composition & arranging at Berklee College of Music. Also, he studied Jazz guitar privately with a number of internationally renowned musicians and faculty memebers at Berklee and New York University, such as John Wilkins, Richie Hart, and Randy Johnston. He is largely influenced by many legendary musicians in Boston and New York City and plays music based on Jazz and Blues.


After returning to Vancouver, Canada, Jon Lee attended Capilano University and served as a teaching assistant for music theory and ear training classes of professor Linda Falls. After majoring in music education at the University of British Columbia, he taught music at public schools in Delta School District, BC, Canada.


As a performer, Jon Lee has played with a number of internationally renown musicians like Bob Mintzer, Jimmy Greene, Kurt Elling, and Hugh Fraser, at a variety of venues around the world, including Berklee performance center, CBC radio, Chan center of UBC, Wall center, El cacol, Jazzycues, Cellar jazz, Plaza of nations, Prophouse cafe, Cafe Monmartre, and Yri-cafe in Seoul, Korea. Recently, he finished his tour in Argentina with Martin Nemcovsky, Esteban Maxera, and Alvaro Manzaero.


As an educator, Jon Lee taught music at public schools in Canada for several years. He directed concert & jazz bands and guitar programs from K to 12 in Delta school district, Canada. Also, he directed all the guitar program that Delta School district offers every spring and summer. He is associated with a number of professional music organizations: MENC, IAJE, CMEA, and BCMEA. He is a dedicated music educator and provides students with a safe, fun, and enjoyable learning environment. Currently, he teaches music at Paul Pope School in West Orange, NJ.


Furthermore, Jon Lee had written weekly music columns for Chosunilbo, one of the major Korean journals from 2002 to 2009. He covered issues on music and music education. Also, he critiqued many records from Pop to Jazz. Additionally, Jon Lee has involved in photography. He takes pictures from portrait to landscape. His photography focuses on aestheticism and communication with viewers. He pursues images with arstistic, philosophical, social, and political messages that often appeal to the viewer.




“Jazz cannot be limited by definitions or by rules. Jazz is above all, a total freedom to express oneself.”


Duke Ellington