
About
Daniel Lee leads an interdisciplinary career as a performer, scholar, preacher, and teacher. He is the founding director of the Sebastians, an award-winning period ensemble based in New York City. He also serves as the concertmaster and leader with Early Music Missouri, the Kansas City Baroque Consortium, the Providence Baroque Orchestra, and the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra. He currently teaches early violins and period performance practice at Yale University.
He plays on modern replicas of Cremonese violins by luthier Karl Dennis and a rare 1770 Florentine violin in its original setup by Giovanni Battista Gabrielli. In addition to historical violins, he also performs on the violino piccolo and violoncello da spalla.
Born in Chicago and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and New York City, Daniel is equally (un)fluent in Korean and English. Having begun playing the violin at the age of two, he considers music his first language. Ethnically identifying as a New Yorker, he enjoys delving into diverse languages and cultures. He is a student of various ancient and modern languages.
As an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), he has served churches and organizations in Connecticut, Missouri, and New York. He strives to explore the intersection of arts and spirituality, where creativity can inspire harmony in human society.

Research
In addition to period violins, Daniel plays various violin family instruments, including the violino piccolo and violoncello da spalla. His research also encompasses exploring the intersection of arts and spirituality.
“well-thought-out articulation and phrasing"



Calendar
15
Bach at the Café Zimmerman: Coffee, Pipe, & Drink
Daniel leads the Kansas City Baroque Consortium a program of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries.
17
Bach at the Café Zimmerman: Coffee, Pipe, & Drink
Daniel leads the Kansas City Baroque Consortium in a program of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries.
19
The Sebastians: Inner Riches
Before Bach, a generation of German composers was creating music of startling depth, richness, and beauty—music that rarely makes it to the stage today. Featuring works by Rosenmüller, Biber, Schmelzer, and Erlebach, this concert dives into the darker, sweeter side of the baroque, where glorious five-part string textures shine with clarity and warmth. Presented alongside handmade works by NYC-based fiber artists, the program draws connections between sound and textile—each a world of interwoven lines, depth, and ornament.
21
The Sebastians: Inner Riches
Before Bach, a generation of German composers was creating music of startling depth, richness, and beauty—music that rarely makes it to the stage today. Featuring works by Rosenmüller, Biber, Schmelzer, and Erlebach, this concert dives into the darker, sweeter side of the baroque, where glorious five-part string textures shine with clarity and warmth. Presented alongside handmade works by NYC-based fiber artists, the program draws connections between sound and textile—each a world of interwoven lines, depth, and ornament.
26
Yale Schola Cantorum
Daniel leads the instrumental ensemble for the Yale Schola Cantorum in a program of Bach, Buxtehude, and others.
03
Bach’s Magnificat
Daniel leads the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra in Bach’s vibrant Magnificat, based on the Gospel of Luke. This celebratory program also features Charpentier’s Te Deum, and Rebel’s Les Élémens, depicting Earth’s creation. Livestream available for 10/5 performance.
05
Bach’s Magnificat
Daniel leads the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra in Bach’s vibrant Magnificat, based on the Gospel of Luke. This celebratory program also features Charpentier’s Te Deum, and Rebel’s Les Élémens, depicting Earth’s creation. Livestream available for 10/5 performance.
12
Fantasticus
Daniel performs a recital with harpsichordist Arthur Haas and viola da gamba player Martha McGaughey.
18
The Sebastians: Love and Ruin
Enter into the devastatingly sumptuous world of the Italian cantata. Soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon (“dazzling, breathtaking”) brings the tragic tales of Lucretia and Armida to life through soaring works by Montéclair and Handel. Interspersed with sonatas by Corelli, Handel, and Castello, this program explores what happens when women fall—whether into shame, madness, or vengeance—and how, through music, their voices rise again.
19
The Sebastians: Love and Ruin
Enter into the devastatingly sumptuous world of the Italian cantata. Soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon (“dazzling, breathtaking”) brings the tragic tales of Lucretia and Armida to life through soaring works by Montéclair and Handel. Interspersed with sonatas by Corelli, Handel, and Castello, this program explores what happens when women fall—whether into shame, madness, or vengeance—and how, through music, their voices rise again.
26
Yale Faculty Recital
Daniel performs a faculty recital with harpsichordist Arthur Haas and viola da gamba player Martha McGaughey.
05
The Sebastians: Handel’s London
George Frideric Handel’s London was alive with musical innovation, shaped by his own genius and a rich circle of baroque composers, blending Italian brilliance with English tradition. This program explores the vibrant soundscape of 18th-century London—from Boyce’s stately elegance to Geminiani’s fiery virtuosity and Pepusch’s theatrical flair—alongside projections evoking London's historic architecture.
08
The Sebastians: Handel’s London
George Frideric Handel’s London was alive with musical innovation, shaped by his own genius and a rich circle of baroque composers, blending Italian brilliance with English tradition. This program explores the vibrant soundscape of 18th-century London—from Boyce’s stately elegance to Geminiani’s fiery virtuosity and Pepusch’s theatrical flair—alongside projections evoking London's historic architecture.
09
The Sebastians: Handel’s London
George Frideric Handel’s London was alive with musical innovation, shaped by his own genius and a rich circle of baroque composers, blending Italian brilliance with English tradition. This program explores the vibrant soundscape of 18th-century London—from Boyce’s stately elegance to Geminiani’s fiery virtuosity and Pepusch’s theatrical flair—alongside projections evoking London's historic architecture.
05
Handel’s Messiah
Daniel leads the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra in Handel’s beloved Messiah under the Cathedral’s soaring Gothic architecture. Witness the concert that has captivated audiences for generations.
06
Handel’s Messiah
Daniel leads the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra in Handel’s beloved Messiah under the Cathedral’s soaring Gothic architecture. Witness the concert that has captivated audiences for generations.
07
Handel’s Messiah
Daniel leads the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra in Handel’s beloved Messiah under the Cathedral’s soaring Gothic architecture. Witness the concert that has captivated audiences for generations.
25
Yale Faculty Recital
Daniel performs a faculty recital with harpsichordist Jeffrey Grossman.
20
The Sebastians: Bach’s Six Brandenburgs
These iconic works—each dazzlingly different in color, character, and instrumentation—show Bach at his most joyful, inventive, and bold. From hunting horns and harpsichord fireworks to shimmering strings and virtuosic winds, this is a rare chance to hear the full set brought to life in one thrilling sweep.
22
The Sebastians: Bach’s Six Brandenburgs
These iconic works—each dazzlingly different in color, character, and instrumentation—show Bach at his most joyful, inventive, and bold. From hunting horns and harpsichord fireworks to shimmering strings and virtuosic winds, this is a rare chance to hear the full set brought to life in one thrilling sweep.
28
The Sebastians: The Mass in B minor
J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor is one of the greatest achievements in all of Western music—monumental in scope, profound in expression, and endlessly inspiring. For our biggest concert of the year, we bring together over thirty exceptional musicians, including a handpicked roster of star vocalists singing one to a part, and an orchestra of leading period-instrument specialists.Experience the Mass as Bach imagined it: intimate, powerful, and alive with detail—performed with the clarity, nuance, and passion this music deserves.
16
The Sebastians: Bach to the Future
Baroque meets brand new. From the timeless elegance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations to the sparkling virtuosity of Vivaldi and Corelli, this concert journeys through the best of the baroque—and lands in the 21st century. Hear how today’s composers respond to the past, creating bold new works for gut strings, harpsichord, and baroque bows that blur the lines between then and now.

"…imparting animation and spirit with free tempos and an improvisatory air."
