There will be a new face Sunday mornings at FCCR! Jeongweon (nickname “John”) Lee will be shadowing Rev. Chad Kidd to build his choral conducting and church music skills this year. John Lee has distinguished himself as a church musician who is dedicated to bringing healing to people through music. He began playing classical piano at the age of nine and continued his studies for ten years before coming to the US to study contemporary music. Since then, he has served as a church musician for over five years in the Boston area, crossing over and blending between musical genres. He has also distinguished himself as a composer, pianist, arranger, producer, and lecturer regarding music as a healing practice. He considers it a gift to have been able to serve faith communities through composing and arranging music, and his music has likewise been a gift to these communities. During his studies at Berklee College of Music, John established himself as an improviser, exploring expanded musical languages as a jazz performance major. His exploration of musical styles has continued to expand alongside his mastery of music performing.
During his Master of Sacred Music program at Boston University, he studied with professor Peter Sykes. His main study is organ repertoire, focusing on Baroque, Romantic, and 19 to 20th-century organ composers’ works. He is also fascinated by theological studies and how they impact the spirituality of his musicianship. John was awarded a full scholarship in the second year of this program, in addition to being selected as a graduate assistant for the seminary choir directed by Rev. Chad William Kidd. In this role, he has trained in various church music skills, from conducting the choir to coordinating music.
John will be covering Rev. Chad Kidd from January to June 2023 while Rev. Chad is on sabbatical. He is looking forward to meeting church members on September 18.
Blessings,
Jeongweon ‘John’ Lee