Profile

Multilingual pianist Tze Mian Lee brings a global perspective to her music, shaped by a lifelong journey through diverse cultures and traditions. Born in Kota Bharu, Malaysia, she began piano studies at the age of four. Her early talent and deep curiosity led her to Singapore at thirteen, where she expanded her musical horizons under the guidance of renowned Singaporean pianist Lip Tat Ong. Tze Mian achieved multiple prestigious Diploma certificates from Trinity College, London, including the Associate diploma (A.T.C.L) at seventeen, followed by the Licentiate (L.T.C.L) and Fellowship (F.T.C.L) with Distinction at eighteen. Her training goes beyond performance; alongside her piano studies, she delved into advanced Theory and Composition—mastering form analysis, general and advanced harmonisation, keyboard harmonisation, counterpoint, strict counterpoint, orchestration, and arrangement—over three and a half years under the mentorship of acclaimed Singaporean composer Tack Fah Lee.

Today, Tze Mian Lee is based in Heidelberg, Germany, where she continues to explore new musical directions, perform internationally, and collaborate across disciplines. Her multicultural background, academic rigour, and expressive artistry come together to create a distinctive voice at the piano.

Artistic Vision

Tze Mian Lee's artistry is rooted in a lifelong devotion to the expressive power of music and its ability to transcend cultures. Her journey as a performer and composer began remarkably early--she gave her first public concert at the age of five, and by ten she had already won second prize in the Malaysian National Yamaha Elctone Competition.

At just fourteen, her exceptional talent was recognized with recommendations to elite programs for young musicians at both the Moscow State Conservatory and the Paris Conservatoire.

Lee is known for her ability to connect intimately with audiences--often improvising on the spot by request--and for her rare capacity to balance technical excellence with emotional depth. A performance highlight from early career includes a rendition of Chopin's Nocturne given for the Royal Family of Kelantan, Malaysia.

As a composer, she has premiered a diverse range of original works for solo piano, voice with piano, and various chamber ensembles--including a piece for soprano and flute obbligato.

Her formal training spans continents and disciplines. She studied under Kenji Kato at the Höchst Konservatorium in Frankfurt and later completed both the Diploma in Music Pedagogy and the Artistic Education degree at the State University of Music Freiburg, Germany, under Prof. Michael Leuschner, graduating with distinction. Her outstanding academic and artistic performance earned her the Rosenberg Foundation Scholarship twice--an exceptional honour recommended by both her professor and the examination committee.

Tze Mian has won  multiple national and international competitions and has been mentored by renowned masters including Ruth Slenczynska (student of Sergei Rachmaninoff), John Perry, Andrzej Jasinski (former Chair of the Jury of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw), Dieter Klöcker, Andrzej Janicki, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Anthony Plog. She has performed extensively across Germany. Poland, Switzerland, Singapore, and Malaysia, presenting a broad repertoire that spans Baroque to contemporary works, including over 100 solo and chamber pieces.

In 2018, she was commissioned to compose a piano part to a Buddhist mantra chant, which she premiered in a multimedia performance combining music, Chinese calligraphy, and Zen dance. She also performed Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (3rd movement) in the same event, accompanied by real-time stage visuals generated from the music.

In July 2025, she completed her debut piano music collection, "Malay Legends"--a set of original compositions for solo piano inspired by traditional Malay folk songs, pantun poetry, gamelan scales, dikir barat, and the rich storytelling traditions of Southeast Asia. 

Pedagogic Experience

Since 1992, Tze Mian Lee has been dedicated to music education, teaching piano, music theory, and composition to  students of all ages and backgrounds. Her instructions includes areas such as  harmonization, solfège, ear training and keyboard skills. Early in her career, she was occasionally entrusted to take over lessons from her own mentors--an acknowledgment of her reliability and pedagogical insight even as a young instructor,

Over the decades, students from diverse educational, cultural, and family backgrounds have come to study with her, drawn by her warm yet rigorous teaching style and her ability to tailor lessons to individual learning needs and artistic goals.

After relocating to Germany, Lee taught at several music schools, continuing to inspire young musicians across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Her international experience and multilingual fluency have made her especially effective in cross-cultural learning environments.

Since 2025, she has been appointed as Guest Faculty in the International Music Program at Pepperdine University (USA), further expanding her influence as a teacher and mentor on a global scale.