IRENE LEE began her oboe studies at the age of eleven and quickly emerged as one of the most promising young oboists of her generation. A student of The Juilliard School Pre-College Division since 2021, she has distinguished herself at the national and international levels through both her artistry and her competitive achievements.

In 2026, Irene was honored with the National YoungArts Award with Distinction. In 2024, she made history at the Juilliard Pre-College Open Concerto Competition, becoming the first oboist in 24 years to win the competition. She also won First Prize at the NJ Soloist Competition in the same year. Other recognitions include selection as a finalist for the IYACC in Chicago and a Silver Medal at the Bravura Philharmonic Young Artists Concerto Competition, among others.

Irene has been selected as one of three oboists for the National Youth Orchestra of the United States (NYO2) in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, she was chosen as one of two oboists for the internationally prestigious Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra in Switzerland and will be returning in the summer of 2026. She will also participate in the Tanglewood Oboe Workshop in that same year.

In the beginning of 2026, Irene was invited as a guest oboist by the Princeton University Orchestra for their annual winter concert.

Beyond music, Irene has a love for writing. She writes stories of all genres, and is set to publish her first book—a creative nonfiction novel—in the near future. Not only that, Irene has a love for dancing, running, and spending time with friends.