Hyunju Juno Lee ’08AD spotlights flute in annual recital series

When she first launched her Chronicle recital series in 2013, flutist Hyunju Juno Lee ’08AD set out to explore the breadth and depth of the flute repertoire. She envisioned a platform where canonical masterpieces would live side-by-side with contemporary works. While the series began as a celebration of solo flute, it has since expanded to include a range of musical collaborators, including theorbists, pianists, and percussionists. 
 
At the heart of Lee’s vision is a simple motto: “Discovering the new, celebrating the familiar.”
 
Each year, Chronicle is shaped by a thematic keyword or phrase, chosen to evoke a specific mood or message. Past themes have included Memory, honoring the legacy of Swiss flutist Aurèle Nicolet, and La Flûte d’Or, a centennial celebration of the French virtuoso Jean-Pierre Rampal. 
 
This year’s theme was Homo Ludens — a nod to Dutch cultural theorist John Huizinga and his ideas about the role of play in human culture. Lee says the concert was meant to guide audiences through “the richly layered explorations of playfulness, realized through the flute.” 
 
Now in its 13th year, this summer’s recital marked an important milestone — not only for the series, but for Lee personally. She was joined on stage by fellow YSM alumni: percussionist Jihye Jung ’09AD and bassoonist Peter Kolkay ’02MMA ’05DMA. The concert reunited Lee and Jung for the first time since Lee’s graduation recital in 2008. 

“Seeing the friends I used to practice with thriving and performing around the globe gives me a deep sense of camaraderie and courage,” Lee says about the reunion. “I loved seeing how our life experiences since Yale carried echoes of our musical journey onto the stage.” 
 
The collaboration came together organically through deep conversations. “We have been exchanging ideas on personal growth in music and making an impact in our communities,” says Lee. “And that’s how we arranged this special concert.”
 
The recital — which took place on July 20 at the Seoul Arts Center — featured works by Lukas Foss, Eric Ewazen, Sunghyun Lee, and Gareth Farr.