Lee, Junghwan

Clarinet/Bass Clarinet

Junghwan Lee joined the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in 2025, holding the position of Bass Clarinet. Born and raised in South Korea, he has a multifaceted career with performances around the world. Lee formerly held a position with the Kansas City Symphony and has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Swedish Opera, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the Grand Teton Music Festival.

As a soloist, Lee's talent has been recognized through numerous awards in Korea, including prizes in the prestigious Joongang Music Concours and the Korean Music Association Competition. He has also distinguished himself in international competitions, including the ARD Competition, the Swedish Duo Competition, and the Dos Hermanas International Clarinet Competition.

Lee is enthusiastic about music education and giving back to the community. In 2018, Lee founded the Love and Hope Music School, an organization in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, that provides free instruments and music education to orphaned students.

Lee earned his bachelor's degree at Seoul National University.  He then moved to Los Angeles to study with Professor Yehuda Gilad at the University of Southern California, where he earned both his Master and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees.