The Catskill Chronicle

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

MONTICELLO – “They don’t want to stay up there on the hill in Livingston Manor, they want to get out into the community and work with the schools,” said Dr. Kevin Dirth, director of music for the Monticello Central School District as he introduced 17-year old piano prodigy Doris Lee to an audience of 300-some students at Monticello High School before her solo piano concert on Friday, October 1 in the Arnold Hughs Auditorium.

In August, Lee was one of nine emerging pianists selected to attend the 16th Annual  International Young Artists of Shandelee Music Festival’s educational program, and was one of their few repeat pianists, as she was also picked to participate in the festival’s prestigious program in 2007.

During the festival, the artists appeared at two previous outreach venues. Lee’s solo concert marked the Shandelee Music Festival’s third and final outreach program of the 2009 season.

Regarded as “poised and elegant” by The Echoes Sentinel, Lee has performed with the Orchestra Sinfonica del festival di Chioggia and is a top prize winner at numerous competitions including the prestigious “Musica in Laguna” International Solo competition. During the summer, she attended the International Keyboard Institute Festival at Mannes School of Music, where she was accepted and awarded a professional scholarship.

At Monticello High, Lee performed a program including works by Beethoven (Sonata Op. 31 No. 1 in G major – Allegro Vivace, Adagio Grazioso, Rondo Allegretto), Chopin’s Fantasy in F minor Op. 49 and Etude Op. 25 No. 1, and Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 3.

“The purpose of the festival for the last 16 years is twofold,” said Marjorie Feuerstein, co-chair/treasurer of the festival’s board of directors. “It’s to advance the careers of young pianists, and bringing classical music to Sullivan County. The young woman you are going to hear is one of your own,” she added. “She’s a high school student and a brilliant pianist.”

After Lee completed her performance on the school’s 125-year old Steinway, she said, “My mom kind of made me start when I was five years old…it goes along with talent, you have to have your emotions and put them into music, or otherwise it won’t happen. It depends upon the piece, happiness or sadness.” While playing funeral works, Lee said that “deep dark, really solemn thoughts” come to mind, but while performing more uplifting compositions, her thoughts turn more to “happy and cheerful” images, “and you play like that.”

“She never played such a big program before (before an audience of more than 300), so it’s a good experience for her,” said Lee’s mother, Yonne. “I just love classical music. I can listen to it over and over again, and never get tired of it.”

Daniel Stroup, founding president of the Shandelee Music Festival, told the middle and high school students assembled in the auditorium, “Doris shared with you not only her technical expertise, but something deep down within her soul, her emotions through the medium of piano performance.”

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