SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Lee wins young musician scholarship
by RIKKI CASON

Hilary Lee

Seventeen-year-old Hilary Lee recently received a $2,000 young musicians scholarship to further her dream to play music.

"Music is a universal language," said Lee, a Williamsville pianist who has been playing for 12 years. "You don't say anything verbal, but you touch people in an amazing way."

Lee's music career began when her mother wanted her children to learn how to play the piano at church. Her passion for music continued from there.

She was primarily home-educated throughout elementary and middle school. She took three years of high school with the Morning Star Academy, completing online classes, and currently is taking courses at Daemen College.

Lee has been winning awards since age 10. She has won the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, the Robert Domick Award for Excellence and Scholarship in 2005 and the Jacqueline Dingman Concert Cup and Scholarship in 2006. She also won the Chromatic Club's Laura Kelsey Camp Scholarship.

Lee has performed in many Western New York Piano Teachers Music Forum Honors Recitals as well as nursing home and Chromatic Club recitals.

Aside from music, Lee is a starter and two-year co-captain of a private high school basketball team. She has volunteered in a summer camp for children who come from dysfunctional homes in New York City, taught a young girl from the community for more than a year and worked in an area nursing home.

Lee currently studies piano with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra pianist Claudia Hoca. She has also taken lessons from Suzzane Chapin and Stephen Manes.

At present, she has narrowed her college choices to two and will continue playing the piano with a piano performance major.

"I look forward to learning a lot more," Lee said. "Working with great teachers and learning from students. It will be a lot more intense."

Though Lee knows that she wants to study music in college, she is undecided on whether to pursue teaching, performance or mentoring people."

" I want to give back using music," Lee said. "My journey with music has been blessed with the support of teachers, family and friends."

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