Pianist Alison Lee made her unofficial recital debut at the age of two when, while waiting for a concert to start, she climbed onstage to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to confused and scattered applause. Now, decades later, she is a performer and teacher dedicated to sharing her love for classical music with her community in the Bay Area. 

Alison has appeared onstage with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Marin Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Earplay, and Da Camera of Houston. She is in demand as a collaborative pianist all year round and is on the faculty of San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Pre-College division as a staff collaborative pianist. She and her husband, cellist Isaac Pastor-Chermak, have recorded three albums together: Preludes and Prologues; 1948: The Cello Sonata After World War II; and Brahms Cello Sonatas and Songs. They are planning a recording of the complete Beethoven Sonatas for Cello and Piano in 2027 – stay tuned! 

As the director of East Bay Music Foundation’s Chamber Music Festival and creator of EBMF’s Ensemble Matching Service, Alison is always searching for ways to get young musicians more involved in chamber music. She has been a coach and a staff pianist at summer chamber music programs including Music at the Mission’s Chamberfest, The Crowden School’s Chamber Music Workshop, and the Castleman Quartet Program.  

Alison earned her doctorate in piano performance from the University of Minnesota and is also an alumna of Rice University and Oberlin Conservatory. Her teachers include Lydia Artymiw, Jon Kimura Parker, Angela Cheng, Hans Boepple, and Jed Galant.