Yoon Jae Lee enjoys a multi-faceted career as conductor, arranger, and pianist. He is the Founder & Artistic Director of Ensemble 212. Under his baton, Ensemble 212 has performed works ranging from Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony to Schwantner’s Sparrows. Mr. Lee currently conducts the Seminar Orchestra at the C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival at Long Island University and is a Resident Conductor at the Strings International Music Festival. Recently, Mr. Lee was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Old York Road Symphony Orchestra. In addition to conducting, Mr. Lee maintains an active accompanying and teaching schedule. In January 2008, he joined the faculty of City College of New York (CUNY). Mr. Lee has made highly acclaimed chamber versions of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. Following the September 11 tragedy, his orchestration of the theme from "New York, New York" was performed at Salzburg’s Cathedral (Dom) during a special benefit concert for St. Paul’s Chapel in lower Manhattan.

A native of New York City, Mr. Lee began studying the violin at age 5 and piano at age 6. At age 17, he started conducting professionally and just 2 years later, participated in a masterclass by Kurt Masur at Alice Tully Hall. He received degrees in piano and conducting from the Mannes College of Music studying conducting with Samuel Wong, David Hayes, and Michael Charry. Upon graduation, he received the N.T. Milani Memorial Conducting Fellowship and the Peter M. Gross Fund. Mr. Lee also studied at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria under the tutelage of Dennis Russell Davies. During that time, he appeared as guest conductor with the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Bruckner Orchester Linz, and was appointed Assistant Conductor to the Salzburger Kammerphilharmonie.

Among the music festivals he has attended include the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival, where he studied with David Zinman, Murry Sidlin, and conducted a staged performance of Benjamin Britten’s, "The Turn of the Screw", Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, where he studied Baroque performance practice with Jeanne Lamon and Ivars Taurins.