Newly appointed as Composer-in-Residence of the Korean National Symphony Orchestra for the 2026/2027 season, she has been described in the press as “a composer who elegantly realizes Korean identity through Western orchestral techniques.” Her music is based on everyday sounds, imageries, and experiences like raindrops, refracting light, and traffic jams recreated into dynamic and emotive soundscapes. Her recent projects explore Korean identity, weaving cultural memory and personal narrative into storytelling deeply rooted in traditional folklore, melodies, and rhythms.

Lee's recent work, Tiger’s Pipe, written for the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, draws inspiration from the traditional Korean phrase “back when tigers smoked pipes,” a storybook expression equivalent to “once upon a time.” The piece weaves Korean folk melodies with the cyclical rhythmic patterns known as jangdan and the timbral language of Gugak ensemble music, reimagined through contemporary symphonic palette.

In the work, the tiger appears as a multifaceted symbol, at once majestic and powerful, yet also playful and mischievous, reflecting its enduring presence in Korean folklore, painting, and storytelling. Through this imagery, the music explores how cultural memory, humor, and mythology can be transformed into a vivid orchestral narrative.

A two-time recipient of the ASCAP Morton Gould Award, Lee has spent the past year developing her new orchestral works at MacDowell Artist Colony and Yaddo, and has previously held fellowships and presented her music at the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, and Copland House’s CULTIVATE program. In April 2026, her orchestral work Tiger’s Pipe will premiere in Seoul, South Korea, followed in July 2026 by the premiere of her new orchestral work Beyond Violet in New York City with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.