'I think music transcends everything': New concertmaster takes first chair at Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A lead violinist and liaison, if you will, between the conductor and the musical ensemble, is hard to come by. This appointed role often lasts decades and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra hasn't had a new concertmaster for more than a quarter century.

Jinwoo Lee is the newly appointed 2023-2024 concertmaster at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

"I started when I was four, four and a half," Lee said. "I remember I asked my father to buy me a violin because two violinists came to my kindergarten and they played a duet and that was very, very inspiring."

Lee is a native of South Korea--his talents have taken him to three continents to train and perfect his skills.

"I received my bachelor's and master's at the Juilliard School and my Artist Diploma and Doctorate at the Manhattan School of Music," he added.

Lee's extensive performance history on a global stage has led him to become concertmaster in Germany for almost 10 years. Now, he's in our Milwaukee hometown.

"This is not a completely new job for me but it's a different orchestra, different colleagues, different conductor and of course, it's a different country, so there are some cultural and traditional differences," Lee explained.

He told CBS 58 Sunday Morning that being a concertmaster is a great responsibility. His transition to Milwaukee has been about four years in the making since Lee first came to the city for an audition--a pretty long one.

"About 12 hours; we started at 10 a.m. and we were done at 10 p.m. and there were six rounds, if I remember correctly," he said.

Due to worldwide strict regulations and lockdowns that ensued because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jinwoo Lee's start date was put on hold and pushed back until this 2023-2024 season.

Lee said he's played concerts all over America, Europe and Asia.

"Only recently have I started to get comfortable with what I'm doing," he said. "I'm still learning, trying things, changing things, experimenting, so, it's of course, a very natural feeling."

Lee describes playing his modern, German-manufactured violin as an "expression of the soul."

"That's also the beauty of it, discovering new music and also rediscovering old music, it's a never- ending process and something I cherish."

MSO's new concertmaster said it's an art form that demands--you keep your ears open.

"I think music transcends everything: language...tradition, culture, heritage," Lee said. "I fell in love with the instrument."