Michael Lee-Smith is a Contemporary Percussionist based in Rochester, New York, and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in percussion Performance at the Eastman School of Music under Michael Burritt. He is a performing member of the Eastman Percussion Ensemble and coaches Eastman’s Chamber Percussion Ensemble. Michael recently performed with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble at the 2023 7th IPEA International Percussion Competition, and performed on multiple national and world premieres alongside distinguished guest Mike Burritt.
Michael has seen competitive success on both the national and international stage, most recently winning First Prize at the 2023 Great Plains International Marimba Competition in the Collegiate Solo division, and First Prize in the 2023 Percussion Conservatory Scholarship Competition. Previously, Michael won First prize at the 2022 Modern Snare Drum Competition held in Cleveland, Ohio, and Second Prize at the 2023 Cortona Contemporary Solo Competition held in Cortona, Italy. Michael was also selected to compete in the 2022 World Marimba Competition held in Stuttgart, Germany. Michael regularly attends summer festivals and programs across the world, and has been awarded the Soloist position with the 2024 World Percussion Group which will tour northern Europe in the early summer of 2024. Recently, he attended the 2023 Cortona Marimba Sessions and Sessions for New Music held in Cortona, Italy. Michael Studied and performed alongside instructors Ji-Hye Jung, Michael Burritt, June Hahn, Michael Competello, and Kim Eun-Hye. He has attended and played in many masterclasses, most notably with Sandbox Percussion and Ji-Hye Jung. He has also performed Large-scale chamber repertoire while in attendance at these festivals, including Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich, alongside many world premieres. Michael is committed to pushing the boundaries of contemporary solo and chamber percussion, developing fluency in all facets of classical and ensemble percussion repertoire, and finding competitive solo success on the national and international stages. He is also interested in teaching both individual and group musicianship to students looking to better themselves as percussionists, and is interested in pursuing a career in collegiate education in the future. Michael also pursues sound design, percussion arrangements, and programmatic composition in his free time. |
Solo Recordings
Moi, Jeu... | Bruno Mantovani |
Entlehnungen - Michael Jarrell |