Lee was born in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea to a musical family.
Lee relocated to Austria for post-graduate studies in conducting and composition at the Salzburg University of Dramatic Arts, Salzburg Mozarteum University of Music, under the tutelage and mentoring of renowned teachers Sándor Végh, Gerhard Wimberger, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Herbert von Karajan.