Born in San Francisco, California, Lisa Lhee (1971—2025) was considered by many as extraordinarily gifted violinist. Graduated with high honors from San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Bern Konservatorium in Switzerland, she received her formal training with the renowned violinist Zavin Malikian and Igor Ozim. Lhee had appeared as a soloist with the Bern Symphony of Switzerland, Inchon Symphony of South Korea, the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra, and the Bern Konservatorium Orchestra. She was the winner of San Francisco Symphony and Pepsi Cola Young Musician’s Competition, the Kingsville International Competition’s Bach Prize, California Youth Symphony Competition, and Pacific Music Heritage Competition. In 2005 she married violinist Jay Zhong, and together they performed as orchestral musicians in the Bay area. After a long struggle with health problems, she was laid to rest in Santa Rosa, California, in 2025.
Violinist Jay Zhong has performed on four continents of the world, acclaimed for his instrumental fluency and incisive musicality. Zhong’s talent was recognized by legendary violinist Nathan Milstein and made his debut on the main stage of New York’s Carnegie Hall at age 16. Hence, he has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in cities of Europe, North and South Americas, and Asia, and held faculty positions in several American universities. He maintains an active schedule annually performing in several regional orchestras in California, including the Fresno Philharmonic, the Monterey Symphony, and the Santa Rosa Symphony where he has been serving as Associate Concertmaster for the last decade. His notable recordings include Eugene Ysaӱe’s Six Sonatas for Solo Violin and Niccolo Paganini’s 24 Caprices.
SuMi Records 