Jean J. Lee

Jean Lee is the Instructor and Coordinator of String Music Education at the Michigan State University College of Music. She teaches string pedagogy and string methods courses while growing the string music education program through student recruitment and retention outreach programs. Lee is well-known throughout the Midwest as an accomplished clinician, conductor, Suzuki violin teacher, and adjudicator. She brings nearly two decades of experience to her role within the University along with a unique skill set as an entrepreneur and brand strategist. Whether in the classroom, leading an orchestra, or working one-on-one with students, Lee loves connecting with young musicians to help them develop their talents and see their potential through music education.

Lee is a proud graduate of Michigan State University where as an undergraduate, she studied violin with I-Fu Wang and piano with Deborah Moriarty. She graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Music Education before also pursuing her graduate studies in Music Education at the University of Michigan.  

Before joining the university’s faculty, Lee taught music for fourteen years in the Okemos Public Schools, a district renowned for having one of the state’s strongest orchestra programs. Throughout her career, Lee has led orchestras of varying age groups—from elementary strings to university-level musicians. She also directed orchestras at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lakes, Michigan; the Michigan Chapter of the American Strings Teachers Association String Camp in Howell, Michigan; and the New England Music Camp in Sidney, Maine. She is an active member of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, the American String Teachers Association, and the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

In addition to applying her expertise as a strings educator and orchestra director, Lee is actively developing new strategies and outreach programs to attract string musicians to careers in music education.