If you attend concerts in the Washington area, chances are you’ve heard the sensitive and inventive music of composer James Lee III. The Maryland-based composer’s works, ranging from orchestral and chamber music to pieces for piano, voice and chorus, have been showcased internationally and described by The Washington Post as "bright, pure music" Major American orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra have championed Mr. Lee’s works, and he served as composer-in-residence with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for the 2024-2025 season.
As part of our local composers’ spotlight this month of November, we’re pleased to showcase compositions of James Lee III on WETA Classical and WETA’s HD channel, Virtuoso. He discusses his visions and influences, his compositions, and his thoughts for the evolving nature of Classical music, in my conversation with him below.
The interview can be heard on WETA Virtuoso followed by a performance of his works on the following times:
11/9/2026 7AM
11/10/2026 3PM
11/11/2026 9AM
11/12/2026 5PM
11/13/2026 11AM
11/14/2026 1PM
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