BIOGRAPHY
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My career as a professional Violinist would not be a reality without the generosity of a sponsor. To this day I am hugely grateful to the late Stephen Bell for his immeasurable act of kindness, sponsoring Violin lessons from my initial studies up to my entrance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He left behind a wonderful legacy of financial music aid, and there are many musicians in the UK who have benefitted from his financial support and generosity.
Highly acclaimed Violinist and collaborative musician Katrina Lee is known for her dedication to championing diversity and inclusion in the arts. A multi-award winning Violinist and a distinguished alumna of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Katrina earned a First-Class Honours and a Master of Music under the tutelage of Professor Andrea Gajic; with her academic journey marked by numerous accolades, including the Hilda Bailey Award, Ian D. Watt Award, Governors Prize for Strings, Robert Highgate Scholarship, Governors Prize for Chamber Music, Musicians Company Goldman Award and Scottish Ensemble Young Artist.
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Hailing from Yorkshire, Katrina's Violin journey began with the support of the late Stephen Bell, who recognised her love for reading and writing and thought she might enjoy translating that passion into reading music. His generous sponsorship was crucial to her early development on the instrument, and this encouragement has continually sparked Katrina’s dedication to her craft - as well as inspiring her lifelong commitment to ensure others have access to opportunities engaging in music.
In her musical pursuits, Katrina aspires to amplify the voices of historically overlooked composers who have been lesser heard due to systemic marginalisation. Her debut solo album Chronicles for Solo Violin released on Delphian Records (March 2025) focuses on the lesser known works by Elizabeth Maconchy, Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté and Sally Beamish. The album received the prestigious 5 star rating from BBC Music Magazine as well as reviews in the Strad and Gramophone magazines. In particular, she loves collaborations with like-minded creatives, and her chamber ensembles Escocia Duo (Violin and Classical Guitar) and Lee-Horvath Duo (Violin and Piano) both share this sentiment, presenting fresh and exciting programmes to audiences across the UK and beyond.
Katrina has performed extensively with the UK’s top orchestras and ensembles; including the Aurora Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble and many more. A highlight of her work has been touring which has enabled her to perform extensively across Europe, Asia and South America.
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In addition to her performing career, Katrina is a lecturer in the Strings faculty at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she is dedicated to teaching and nurturing the next generation of musicians with a holistic approach. Katrina has also mentored numerous young musicians through the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and Benedetti Foundation Youth Music programmes, and coached at various youth orchestra courses. Stemming from her own humble background, Katrina is an advocate for access to music for all, striving to make music education and performance opportunities available to everyone, regardless of socio-economic status.
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Outside of her music, you'll find Katrina in the kitchen whipping up a feast for friends and family - or perfecting the art of eating it all herself!
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Katrina plays on a contemporary Violin (2003) by Andrew Fairfax, inspired by Guarneri del Gesù, and a bow by Claude Thomassin.​