Jonathan Lee
Biography
A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sarasota Orchestra cellist Jonathan Lee is also a soloist and principal cellist of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. He was recently an acting section member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the 2023-2024 season. He has concertized in many of the major concert halls of the world, including the Kennedy Center, Suntory Hall, Kitara Hall, Sydney Opera House, Mozarteum, and Haydn Hall. In the 2022-2023 season, he made his solo debut with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra performing Michael Schelle’s “Resilience” Concerto for viola, cello, and orchestra.
Passionate about chamber music, Jonathan is a member of the Dayton Philharmonic Principal String Quartet, as well as a founding member and artistic director of the Immaculata Chamber Music Series from 2018-2021. He regularly collaborates with members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and has appeared on numerous concert series and music festivals including the Pacific Music Festival, St. Thomas Bach Society, and National Orchestral Institute. His primary teachers are Ilya Finkelshteyn and Dr. David Schepps. Jonathan received degrees from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and Lindner College of Business (MBA).
In addition to his role as a cellist, Jonathan is also the deacon of responsive arts at Missio Dei Church in Cincinnati and former vice president of the board of trustees for the Cincinnati Musicians’ Association, Local 1 of the American Federation of Musicians. Jonathan resides in Cincinnati with his wife, Haley. When he is not playing cello, he can be found rock climbing, on a walk in one of Cincinnati’s many parks or neighborhoods, or at a coffee shop.
Get to know Jonathan Lee
First year with Sarasota Orchestra: 2025
Instrument: Jonathan plays a modern cello made by Raymond Melanson in Rochester, Massachussetts, in 2012.
Education: B.M. in cello performance from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Ilya Finkelshteyn; MBA from the Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati
Career Highlights: "There are so many to choose from, so I'll just mention a couple," Jonathan says. "The first was my first time performing a Bruckner Symphony, which was with Sir Donald Runnicles and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. I previously held this assumption that Bruckner's music was lengthy and uninteresting, but that performance was so wonderfully interpreted and full of energy. It totally changed how I viewed Bruckner's music and remains one of the most energetic performances of my career. Another was in the summer of 2025: the Dayton Philharmonic (my other orchestra) and the Sarajevo Philharmonic did a side-by-side concert with Marin Alsop to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, signed in 1995. We performed an electric Beethoven's Fifth Symphony for a sold-out hall, including many foreign dignitaries who were present for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. It was amazing to meet and learn from musicians from an entirely different context and create music together."
Passions and Interests: Outside of music, Jonathan enjoys time with his wife, Haley, craft coffee, rock climbing, and being outside!
