Gordon Lee

Gordon Lee is a globally acclaimed harmonica virtuoso and pioneer, renowned for his revolutionary performance techniques and work fusing Eastern and Western musical traditions. Born in Hong Kong, he began playing the harmonica from the age of six. His early passion for the instrument drove him to pursue rigorous training, laying the foundation for his future breakthroughs in performance and instrument design. In 2017 he achieved international recognition after winning the World Champion title at the World Harmonica Festival in Trossingen, Germany. Since then, he has become a sought-after performer, with invitations to perform at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall in New York and the MuTh Concert Hall in Vienna, and solo engagements with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. His exceptional versatility has been marked by numerous concerts performing virtuoso harmonica concertos by Spivakovsky and Villa-Lobos, Chinese works with Chinese ensembles and Canto pop and jazz crossover works with a diverse range of popular artists. 

Gordon Lee’s unique style has been shaped by studies under his mentors Franz Chmel, Sigmund Groven and the blues harmonica legend Howard Levy. He is also an accomplished player of the Sheng, the ancient Chinese free-reed instrument, and for more than a decade was mentored by the renowned Sheng master Cheng Tak-Wai. Gordon Lee has made groundbreaking developments in harmonica technology with his invention of the double resonance harmonica aimed at improving the projection of the instrument in large concert halls and orchestral settings. He has also pioneered new methods that integrate Sheng techniques and Qigong breathing practices to transform dynamic control and tonal expression in harmonica playing. A passionate advocate for harmonica music and music education, Gordon Lee established the Hong Kong Harmonica Academy in 2015, an institution dedicated to cultivating tomorrow's top harmonica players. He currently serves on the jury for the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival, the Seoul International Harmonica Festival, and the World Harmonica Festival. In 2024 he was honoured with the Music Advocacy Award by the International Society for Music Education. A trailblazer in both performance and instrument design, Gordon Lee continues to expand the boundaries of harmonica music, inspiring new possibilities and shaping the future of the instrument. In 2025, he was selected as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong. In February 2027, he will give the world premiere of a harmonica and sheng concerto composed for him by renowned Hong Kong composer Leon Ko, together with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.