Meet Haegee “Gigi” Lee: a Soprano based in London whose performances have delighted audiences around the world. We met at the Royal Opera House, where Lee had spent the morning rehearsing ahead of her then-upcoming performance of Lakmé. I first had the pleasure of hearing Lee perform at Hampton Court Palace towards the end of 2023, as part of a concert organised by the Korean Embassy honouring the 140 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and South Korea. Performing alongside Pianist Harry Rylance, Lee delighted those in attendance with three songs, each in a different language and unique in their own right. I remember being struck by what a wonderful performer she was, and how, looking resplendent in her signature red dress, she came alive on stage.
Firstly, we spoke about what it means to be a ‘Soprano’, the highest category of female voice types. Lee happily shared with me that there are several different types or categories of Soprano: light (or coloratura), lyric and dramatic. Out of these, Lee considers that she fits in the category of a ‘light soprano’. I had expected her to answer ‘dramatic’, but she surprised me by sharing that she does not consider herself to be a dramatic performer. “In this sense,” Lee told me, “by dramatic I mean the works themselves, which are dramatic from start to end. They usually are more serious and end in tragedy.”
Whilst Lee did not recall there being a particular moment where she realised she was a great singer, her first memory of singing, is at her Grandfather’s 60th birthday. “I remember,” she shared, smiling, “my family encouraging me as I sang.”
Lee lovingly shared that she was inspired to take up a career in music by her mother, a pianist, who “encouraged me a lot when it came to singing and introduced me to every instrument I could imagine”. Lee also took up the piano and learned the violin when she began singing lessons. When the time came to focus on one instrument, Lee chose her voice, which she describes as an instrument everyone can take with them easily. Interestingly, Lee informed me that during her early teenage years, she took a break from singing for a year or so at the recommendation of her vocal teacher, due to inevitable changes in her voice which occurred as she was growing into a young adult. “The voice of a girl changes,” Lee shared, “in much the same way as a young boy’s might between the age of 13-15. I was lucky the break wasn’t too long. When I took up singing again I changed into lyrical singing, so the opera.”
The highest note Lee said she can reach is high f (or ‘really high’ in layman’s terms) but that comes only if she practices. This is because her vocal range has changed, as it does with all singers. Talking of this Lee shared that whilst “the audiences may not notice, we as professionals and knowing our own voices and range, do notice and feel the difference. It’s as a result of the vocal chord muscles releasing over time.”
At the time of our meeting, Lee was preparing for her upcoming performance as Lakmé at London’s Cadogan Hall. Located in the heart of Chelsea and a much loved historical venue, Cadogan Hall is, Lee shared, a really meaningful place for a concert: “The acoustics are great and the building has an interesting history. Lots of great artists have performed there [over the years]”. Lee has performed there previously (2017) as a member of a chorus, whereas this time around she took to the stage and performed as a main singer. When she spoke of this, Lee smiled and shared that having the chance to perform there as a soloist “makes me really happy.”
A review of her performance by Music OMH reads:
‘In the title role stood Haegee Lee, whose coloratura in ‘L’Air des clochettes’ (The Bell Song) was a wonder to hear, and who overall offered a sound that felt extremely clean. In reality, it was possessed of a vast array of colours and nuances, but because it was underscored by such strong technique, the listener was left simply feeling its purity. While Lee’s acting revealed how involved she was, she did not indulge in the type of histrionics that would have made her performance feel overblown. The degree of understatement she maintained made her performance moving because it enabled us to see Lakmé as a real person, rather than an ‘exotic’ stereotype.’
Lee told me that she works hard to make her performances lively and entertaining. Lee feels that the most important thing for any performance is to ensure that there is a connection with the audience. When it comes to serious songs, it is easier to form an emotional connection with the audience, but these types of performances, are not enjoyable in the sense of light-heartedness and happiness. Lee shared that she enjoys singing the traditional Irish melody ‘Oh Danny Boy’ which she says captures the audience’s heart.
The songs Lee chooses for a performance vary depending on her location. When in France, she performs French songs. English when in England, and so on. This is something very special and important to Lee, but equally, she shares that it can be a little stressful at times and causes her to worry about making “a mistake with the words and the audience notice.” Here, Lee is referring to the different languages. Anyone fortunate enough to hear Lee perform, will, like me be impressed at how she is able to sing a wide range of different languages with such ease. I was impressed to learn that English (which she speaks wonderfully) is actually her second foreign language. The first is French, which is her preferred language to sing in. Lee can also speak “a little bit of Spanish and Italian” but “that’s all”, she adds, modestly. “When it comes to [performing in] an opera,” she continued, “whilst I have had no formal [linguistic] training, I can read and pronounce almost 11 languages including German, Polish, Czech, Danish and Swedish. When it comes to languages and performances, whilst English translations are available, it is, Lee shared, “easier to follow the composers. Many, like Mozart and Britton, composed in their own languages. Many people prefer works to be performed in the original language used. This is because the original takes into account which words and vowels fit with the right note.”
Among many of Lee’s performances and professional accomplishments, she recently performed for the South Korean President as part of his state visit to the UK. Lee shared with me that it was a great honour and wonderful to be able to represent her country in such a way, but particularly special on a personal level as well because it afforded her the chance to perform on stage with her husband, who is a tenor. Lee also shared with me that another meaningful performance to her was being afforded the honour of visiting Buckingham Palace in 2018 where she performed as part of celebrations for the then Prince Charles’ Birthday. She was selected at the time along with other young artists. Talking of this, Lee shared that the experience was like “a dream. I’d been to the Palace as a tourist but being able to perform there was a huge honour. My dad is a history teacher and felt it was a huge honour for our family.”
I asked if Lee has a favourite song to perform. She replied quickly and without a great deal of hesitation, ‘Amore!’. I had the pleasure of hearing Lee perform that song at the aforementioned Hampton Court Palace performance and she was incredible (see photo on right). It was easy to tell from the way her face lit up when she replied to my question just how much she loves this song, which she describes as “really fun and one of my favourites. The audience loves it too.”
Lee has won several prestigious prizes during the course of her career to date as well as several competitions she entered during university. Notable amongst these include obtaining First Prize in the Concours de Bach, Marseilles, and Second Prize in the first Korean Classical Singers Association International Vocal Competition, Seoul. We spoke about these in turn. The Concours De Bach, Lee shared was very competitive and presented her with a unique challenge. Talking of this, Lee shared that “part of this is because Bach’s music isn’t operatic music. The musical style is technically very different. When I was at school we were taught that Bach is one of the most important composers because he knew everything. His pieces are full of stillness and repetition, which makes them very important for young musicians to know well. I did not understand this when I was young. As a student, I wanted to play pieces by composers such as Liszt, whose works are much more like fireworks and very moving. This competition really helped me understand that, and how knowing the basics allows you to do anything.”
As to taking part in the Korean Classical Singers Association International Vocal Competition, Lee (where she came second). This was also a great honour. Whilst this competition may not yet be recognised on the world stage, it is one that is nevertheless very prestigious and significant for Korean singers. Lee was encouraged to enter the competition, normally for university students. Talking of this, Lee shared, “I didn’t enter whilst I was at university as I felt it was a higher level than what I was capable of. As a result, when I entered I was one of the eldest candidates but it was a really fun experience and I did my best.
Our conversation then turned to the performances Lee is most proud of. Her answer: Gilda. This was a role Lee performed just before the COVID pandemic brought the world to a standstill. It was her first main role on stage. For those unfamiliar with opera, Gilda is a key character in the Italian Opera Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi. “The music in this opera is really beautiful and major in tone, light and bright but the lyrics are sad. The themes are darker and it ends in tragedy.” Across the 8 performances Lee gave, and in preparation for these, Lee had to take on a different mindset and really understand the meaning of the lyrics. It allowed her to appreciate the connection between the audience and the character. When taking on a main role, the singer has to build up a good relationship with the audience during the course of the performance. In the first performance, Lee shared, “the reaction was good, but I felt that I focused on my technique more than delivery. This made me, rather than the audience the most satisfied. I learned from that realisation. In the second performance, I focused on connection, and how I can deliver that to the audience. I gave myself a goal of making the audience cry at the end. The best reaction is a breath but after a pause and brief silence. When they [the audience] concentrate they make very little sound. This in turn makes us as performers feel good. At the end of the opera, I hope to hear a brief silence before the sound of the audience clapping.”
At the time of writing, Lee is currently back in Korea preparing for her role as Titania in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. This will be, Lee described, a special homecoming and a performance which will afford her the opportunity to perform in her hometown (Seoul) – the place where “my love for opera began.”
I am very much looking forward to hearing Lee perform again in the future.
Upcoming engagements include: her debut with English National Opera as Queen Tye Akhnaten, Musetta La bohème and Violetta La traviata for Welsh National Opera and the Leeds Castle Classical Open-Air Concert.
