Recognized for her layered, resonant sound and commitment to sincere performance, Korean-American flutist, Josephine Yoonji Lee, is a recent graduate of the Master of Music program at Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied with Lorna McGhee (Principal Flute, Boston Symphony Orchestra; Former Principal Flute, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra). She completed her Bachelor of Music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with Alexa Still (Former Principal Flute, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra), where she graduated early with Pi Kappa Lambda Honors and was a recipient of the Conservatory Dean, Kenneth H. Woodside, and Ruder Scholarships. She owes much of her musical development to Christina Yoo, with whom she studied during her youth.

 

Josephine has also studied with flutists Emily Beynon and Paul Edmund-Davies at Le Domaine Forget de Charlevoix, where her performances earned her the Woodwind Excellence Award. She has had the privilege of performing for many other prominent flutists, including Carol Wincenc, Mark Sparks, Molly Barth, Aralee Dorough, the late Philip Dikeman, and baroque flutist Barthold Kuijken. As a supplement to her flute studies, Josephine is greatly interested in the Alexander Technique, having worked privately with the Pittsburgh-based Lisa Levinson.

 

Previously, Josephine attended the Pierre Monteux School and performed as part of Le Festival International de Musique Classique de Puget sur Durance. She was the principal flutist of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen and performed as a concerto soloist and chamber musician at the Beverly Hills International Music Festival. As for other orchestral pursuits, recent performances have included appearances with the Civic Orchestra of Los Angeles and Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra as substitute flute and piccolo. She was a winner of the National Flute Association's 2025 Masterclass Performers Competition. She currently plays on a Powell Aurumite 9K Conservatory flute and a Burkart Elite piccolo with a Keefe T/C headjoint.

 

As a casual gamer and supporter of the speedrunning community, Josephine has contributed her playing to video game arrangements made by speedrunner/composer a_variety_pack for speedrunning charity events such as RejectsAndFriends. Josephine is an avid donor of whole blood, platelets, and granulocytes; she is also a lover of cats, shōnen manga, and riichi mahjong! (And very much enjoys hōjicha lattes.) Above all else, she understands that sharing music is a deeply human service and a special privilege to be cherished; she approaches every performance with gratitude for the unconditional love and support of her family, friends, and mentors.