Christy Lee is Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at The University of Tennessee where she is Music Director of UT Opera Theater and Director of Accompanying. Dr. Lee holds the DM in Accompanying and Chamber Music from Florida State University where she was the recipient of the prestigious University Fellowship. She received the Bachelor of Music degree, magna cum laude, in piano performance from The University of Alabama and the Master of Music degree in collaborative piano from The Cleveland Institute of Music, where she was the recipient of the first Madame Gwendolyn Koldofsky Accompanying Award. She made her orchestral debut with the Jackson, TN, Symphony Orchestra as winner of the 1988 Mid-South Piano Concerto Competition. In the world of opera, Dr. Lee has worked as pianist, coach, and assistant conductor at Opera Memphis, Chattanooga Opera, Pensacola Opera, Cleveland Opera, Lake Placid International Voice Seminar, Harrower Summer Opera Workshop, Pine Mountain Music Festival, and Dorian Opera Theatre. She made her conducting debut in Mozart, Flute of Heaven while serving as Music Director for the Vocal Arts Apprentice Program of Lyric Opera Cleveland in its 1996 Festival Season. This summer she joined the musical staff of La Musica Lirica in Urbania, Italy. Dr. Lee has held academic appointments at The Cleveland Institute of Music, Encore School for Strings, Delta State University, and Florida State University. She is active as a recitalist and a chamber musician. She was recently honored with the Brooks Smith Outstanding Alumni in Collaborative Piano Award from The Cleveland Institute of Music. Her recording of Belgian music for cello and piano with cellist Wesley Baldwin was just released on the Centaur label.