Pianist Alison Lee made her unofficial recital debut at the age of two when, while waiting for a concert to start, she climbed onstage to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to scattered applause. She has since become a pianist and educator dedicated to sharing the timelessness of classical music with her community and bridging the gap between composer, performer, and audience. Second prize winner at the 2016 Midwest International Piano Competition, Alison was also awarded first prize in several competitions including the Thursday Musical Scholarship Competition and the Dorothy van Waynen Piano Competition. She has been a featured soloist with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony and the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra, and her performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio on KPBX 91.1 (Spokane Public Radio) and WOI-FM 90.1 (Iowa Public Radio). Aside from her career as a solo pianist, Alison is also an avid chamber musician. She is the pianist and founding member of a piano trio called Ensemble 1828 and has also appeared in chamber concerts with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Da Camera of Houston. Alison serves as a staff pianist at the Castleman Quartet Program during the summer and spends the rest of the year in demand as a collaborative pianist all around the Bay Area. Alison holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Minnesota where she studied with Lydia Artymiw. Previous teachers include Jon Kimura Parker, Angela Cheng, Hans Boepple, and Jed Galant.