Charmaine Lee

Charmaine Lee is a Cantonese Australian vocalist based in New York. Using extended vocal techniques, feedback, and live processing, Lee’s practice is primarily concerned with spontaneity, playfulness, and risk-taking. Lee has performed in over 300 contexts ranging from large institutions such as the Lincoln Center to DIY basements around the world. She has been recognized as “extraordinary” by the New Yorker, and has been featured in New York Times, Washington Post, and Wire Magazine. As a composer, Lee has received commissions from leading new music institutions including the International Contemporary Ensemble and HBO Max. 

In conjunction with her music, Lee has worked on the operations, strategy, and development of some of the largest talent programs in the world, including Rise (Schmidt Futures) and the Asian Cultural Council. She currently serves on the Board of ISSUE Project Room and is on the National Annual Giving Committee at Princeton University.

Lee has a BA from Princeton University in sociology, and an MA from the New England Conservatory in music.