Kaii Lee

Kaii was born in Taiwan where she began her musical studies on the piano, French horn, and cello, and singing in multiple languages with her Catholic school chorus. In the U.S., she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Piano Performance at UCLA, studied with Aube Tzerko and Johanna Harris, and a Master of Arts degree also in Piano Performance at California State
University, Northridge, studied under Jakob Gimpel.
With her K-12 and Community College teaching credentials, Kaii taught general/vocal music and theater arts in Las Virgenes, Oak Park, and Irvine Unified School Districts, and piano classes in Valencia, at the College of the Canyons. While teaching in Irvine Unified School District, Kaii served as the music department’s Teacher Induction Program supervisor.
During the period being the owner/composer/program director at Kaii and Friends Music Studio in Los Angeles County, Kaii was also the IUSD Honor Chorus director, arranger, and accompanist for 24 years. She was the recipient of the IUSD Teacher of the Year Award in 2003 and the Orange County Elementary School Vocal Music Teacher of the Year Award in 2004. Kaii was then chosen to be a part of the “Dvorak in America” Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2010, with scholars, Joseph Horowitz and Dr. Robert Winter, and “Banner Moment” Institute in Washington, D.C. in 2014, with Dr. Mark Clague, both through the National Endowment for the Humanities. In the “U.S. Educators in Japan” program, sponsored by the Japanese Business Association of Southern California, Kaii taught music classes in Tokyo, Ikaruga, and Nara, Japan, in 2015.
Kaii was a singer of the Pacific Chorale for 15 years under the directions of John Alexander and Dr. Robert Istad, performing in Southern California, Carnegie Hall, New York, and in Europe, including Paris, Budapest, and Vienna. To share her love of music, Kaii has been the Pacific Symphony Orchestra’s “Class Act” program Teacher Workshop presenter and Symphony Ambassador/Speaker since 2022. She has published several books titled “Keyboard and Piano Methods” in three volumes, “Singing Basics” with video support, and “Music Fundamentals” from 2003 through 2025.