Participant
Youjin Lee
Violin
Accepted to the preliminary round of the 2026 Naumburg International Violin Competition.
Biography supplied for the 2026 competition.
Violinist Youjin Lee was born in South Korea. She has graduated from Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Ida Kavafian and Pamela Frank Only three years after relocating to the U.S., Lee won First Prize at the Klein International String Competition in 2013. She further distinguished herself by winning First Prize and the Bach Special Prize at the Stulberg International String Competition, marking her emergence on the international stage. In 2018, she captured First Prize and the Audience Award at the Washington International Competition. Additional accolades include Prize winner at the Munetsugu International Violin Competition, Second Prize at the Seoul International Music Competition, and prizes at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Lee has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras worldwide, including the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra,Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. Her performances have taken her to major venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She has also given recital tours in Tokyo and Nagoya and was scheduled for a recital invitation in Budapest, Hungary.
Pianists
2026 International Violin Competition
Nabeel Hayek
, piano
Pianist Nabeel Hayek performs as a soloist and chamber musician, with a particular interest in twentieth-century and contemporary music. Winner of the 2025 Iturbi International Piano Competition in Valencia, he has appeared with the Jerusalem Symphony, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra–Rishon Lezion, and Galilee Chamber Orchestra. His recital performances have taken him to Europe, Asia, and North America, and his playing has been broadcast on Israel’s Kan Voice of Music.
Hayek’s musical activities include chamber collaboration and teaching. A 2025 fellow at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, he has also participated in the Aspen Music Festival and programs of the Lieven Piano Foundation. From Nazareth, he is committed to sharing classical music with his community and introducing new listeners to the repertoire.
He received his bachelor’s degree from the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University, studying with Arie Vardi and Asaf Zohar, and his master’s degree from Juilliard with Julian Martin. His musical development has also included mentorship from Murray Perahia beginning in 2017.