David C. Lee

Music & Camera Biography

Music Biography

David Chungin Lee is a Korean American percussionist, composer, and educator currently based in Los Angeles. He has performed in some of the world’s most celebrated venues, including Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall, and is equally active as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral performer, and interdisciplinary artist. His work bridges contemporary percussion performance, music technology, education, and intermedia art.

Originally from Eugene, Oregon and raised partly in Seoul, South Korea, Lee began his musical journey on piano before discovering percussion at the age of seven. He went on to join the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, where he had the opportunity to work with Maestro Stephen Rogers Radcliffe and the former Music Director of the Seattle Symphony, Ludovic Morlot. At 18, Lee was named the youngest competitor that year to win the Eugene Symphony Guild Young Artists Competition in its senior division—typically reserved for musicians aged 18 and older, and performed Emmanuel Séjourné’s Concerto for Marimba and Strings with the Eugene Symphony.

A passionate advocate for new music, Lee has premiered numerous works in collaboration with leading composers and performers. These include Tesla’s Harmony, Yuen, and a trio arrangement of Verano Porteño with Pius Cheung, as well as Coyote Dreams by Michael Udow, performed alongside Michael Udow, Eriko Daimo, and Casey Cangelosi. He recently recorded and premiered Heaven and Earth, a ballet composed by Cheung, and collaborated with composer Eunike Tanzil on her marimba duet Hide and Seek.

Equally active in the orchestral world, Lee has worked with top conductors around the world including Speranza Scappucci, Xian Zhang, and Simone Young. Lee was named the 2023 Charles Owen Percussion Fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School—an award given to the top auditioning percussionist. He was also selected as a percussion fellow for the 2024 and 2025 Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. He currently plays percussion with the Civic Orchestra of Los Angeles.

Lee’s interdisciplinary interests have led to collaborations beyond the concert stage. In 2022, he was featured at Lincoln Center’s Open House in David Geffen Hall, where he performed improvised music with visual artist and puppeteer Basil Twist using sound painting. He has also performed with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Eugene Ballet Company, OrchestraNext, Oregon Bach Festival, and In a Landscape.

Currently, Lee serves as Assistant Lecturer of Percussion and Graduate Assistant at the University of Southern California, where he is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the mentorship of Joseph Pereira and Jim Babor. At USC, he specializes in music technology, music education, performance, and intermedia, and is deeply involved in the development of interdisciplinary artistic work that combines sound, video, and pedagogy.

Committed to education and outreach, Lee has led masterclasses throughout Oregon and worked with underserved youth through the Seattle Music Partners program. His teaching philosophy centers on empowering students through creativity, precision, and self-discovery.

He holds degrees from the University of Oregon (BM, summa cum laude), The Juilliard School (MM), and is currently completing his DMA at USC. His principal teachers include Pius Cheung, Sean Wagoner, Dan Druckman, Markus Rhoten, Joseph Pereira, and Jim Babor, with additional studies in drum set, composition, world music, and conducting.

Camera Biography

I am a photographer, videographer, and video editor based in Los Angeles, specializing in portraiture, event coverage, and brand media. My approach emphasizes comfort and connection, guiding clients to feel at ease so we can create portraits that are both polished and emotionally honest. Whether it’s a professional headshot, a live performance, or a behind-the-scenes shoot, my goal is to capture honest moments with intentional framing and storytelling.

My media work spans both commercial and artistic contexts. I currently serve as an event photographer at the University of Southern California under the Office of the Vice President and Student Life. I also work as an in-house photographer for the USC Bookstore, producing product and lifestyle photography for their website and social media in collaboration with the e-commerce and marketing team.

Beyond USC, I’ve collaborated with brands such as Ismacello Apparel to produce photo and video content for product launches, lookbooks, and social media. I also serve as a freelance camera assistant and editor at Twelve Thirty-Four Studios, a media production company led by Kevin Hsu. Previously, I worked as an A/V technician with Park Boulevard Productions in New York City, contributing to projects with Warner Music Group, the Center for Innovation and the Arts, and the Ukrainian Institute of America. I’ve also created media for organizations such as the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and Beta Percussion International Institute. On campus, I stay actively involved in various student clubs, such as Band Kori, capturing content for social media, storytelling, and long-form media.

I have collaborated with artists such as Eunike Tanzil and enjoy exploring the intersection of media, visual art, and music. My recent interdisciplinary work Drown for Vibraphone, Percussion, Tape, and Video Art (2025) reflects this vision. I composed the music and electronic playback, wrote a poem that accompanies the piece, and created the video art that plays alongside the live performance, merging sound, language, and imagery into a singular experience.

In 2025, I collaborated with artist Kana Funayama to create a music video for a new work titled Kaze no Sobyō by Sana Fujimori written for Funayama. I served as the album cover photographer/designer, audio engineer, recording the session, editing the video, and mixing and mastering the audio with the support of recording producer Christian Amonson. The project brought together visual storytelling and high-level music production.

That same year, I published a photography book titled Who we are When no one’s watching, a visual meditation on visibility, identity, and intimacy. Through portraits of individuals connected to Korean heritage, the project explores what it means to be truly seen in both staged and unguarded moments. The book is structured as a dialogue between paired images and ends each section with a single, unpaired photograph that includes reflections of myself as the photographer, blurring the line between observer and subject.

I have documented hundreds of portraits and events have presented several photography installations, always aiming to highlight emotion, narrative, and presence through the lens. Outside of client work, I travel often and use photography as a way to preserve spontaneous and fleeting moments.

6/2025

FAQs

  • Yes, I do! I currently offer in-person lessons and Zoom/virtual lessons. Please reach out through the contact page if you are interested.

  • Please refer to the percussion lesson pricing section of the website for more details.

  • Details about pricing can be found in the camera services pricing section of the website.

  • It depends on the project and session type. Contact me with details and we can work out something together!