A ram L ee
His bamboo sound is natural and persuasive, like a cry returning to being part of nature.
Yookyung Noh , music critic
A living being named consciousness flows between sounds and becomes a landscape, and
It resonated through the concert hall, reducing once again to an extremely material sound, and seemingly fading away as a lingering echo.
Hyunjin Song, Editor-in-Chief of Monthly Gaekseok
Aram Lee is a daegeum performer, artistic director, and producer who crafts an original musical universe by deeply exploring Korean traditional arts while actively embracing global musical idioms.
He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Artistic Fine Arts from the School of Korean Traditional Arts at Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), and completed his doctoral coursework at Dankook University Graduate School. Starting with the Korean Music Ensemble Baramgot (2006–2012), followed by Black String (2012–present) and NAMU Ensemble (2015–present), he has continuously engaged in pioneering band activities, closely collaborating with world-renowned musicians across diverse genres including jazz, rock, classical, folk/world music, electronic music, and free improvisation.
Since his debut as a soloist in 2012, Aram Lee has expanded his artistic horizons to establish himself as a peerless daegeum virtuoso representing South Korea. His sustained collaborations with notable figures—such as pianist Yeol Eum Son, composer Jung Jae-il, pansori vocalist Jun-su Kim, French flutist Jocelyn Mienniel, choreographers Maeja Kim and Soo-ho Kook, and the mask-dance troupe The Greatest Masque—exemplify his auteurist approach to art, driven by flexible thinking and boundless imagination.
He has served as artistic director and music director for approximately 150 productions spanning dance, mask dance (talchum), theater, music drama, immersive concerts, multidisciplinary arts, installation art, and street arts. Furthermore, he has reached diverse audiences across genres and generations as a festival producer and programmer, serving as Artistic Director (2023) and Music Director (2018, 2020) for the Yeowoorak Festival, as well as Artistic Director for the Korea Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo (2022). Having won the Performance (Wind Instrument) Award at the KBS Korean Traditional Music Awards, Best Jazz & Crossover Performance and Best Jazz & Crossover Album at the Korean Music Awards, and the Asia & Pacific category at the UK Songlines Music Awards, he is celebrated by audiences and critics alike as an "irreplaceable, all-around artist."
Through his endeavors with Korean Music Ensemble Baramgot, Black String, and NAMU Ensemble, Aram Lee has performed at major festivals and venues across 42 countries worldwide, presenting an expansive musical spectrum. He is currently represented by YAGI WORKS.
His performance breaks through the limitations of the daegeum and blurs the boundaries between East and West.
Heeyoon Im, music journalist
Through the instrument called 'Daegeum,' which embodies the sound of Korea, not only our traditions
Equipped with an outstanding modern sensibility and an exceptional ability to connect with modern people,
He is a very precious and proud performer of our country.
Junehee Lim, Composer
<Awards>
Best Jazz & Crossover Album, The 17th Korean Music Awards (2020)
Stage Art Award, The 25th Dance Arts Awards (2019)
Asia & Pacific Winner, Songlines Music Awards, UK (2018)
Performance (Wind Instrument) Award, The 36th KBS Korean Traditional Music Awards (2017)
Best Jazz & Crossover Performance, The 14th Korean Music Awards (2017)
Gold Prize (General Division), The 18th Dong-A Korean Traditional Music Competition (2002)
<Key Career & Selected Works>
Artistic Director, Yeowoorak Festival (2023)
Artistic Director, Korea Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo (2022)
Music Director, Yeowoorak Festival (2018, 2020)
Music Director, Royal Culture Festival (2018, 2020, 2023)
Music Director, World Heritage Festival Gyeongbuk: Andong & Yeongju Opening Performance I Am Confucianism: The Real Confucianism (2022)
Traditional Music Director, 2021 P4G Seoul Summit (2021)
Music Director, National Dance Company of Korea’s Holchum II, Holchum III - Solo and Double Dance, Onchum (2021–2023)
Performer, Jung Jae-il x Jun-su Kim x Aram Lee PansoriScape (2021)
Music Director, Art Village Project: Master Maeja Kim Solo Exhibition Deep Summer (2021)
Music Director, Maeja Kim x Soo-ho Kook x Jeong-hye Bae Facing the Wall (Myeonbyeok) (2021–2025)
Artistic Director, ARKO Creative Arts Selection - Best New Work: NAMU Ensemble Pa-eum (Eight Tones) (2020)
General Director, Gyeongbokgung Palace Concert Led by Daegeum, Led by Voice (2018)
Music Director, The Greatest Masque’s Othello and Iago, The Three Generations’ Stage, Yeolha Ilgi, Agamemnon (2018–2025)