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Recorder31 Day 15 | LIFEM 2026: An Interview with Eun Sol Lee
Here at The Early Music Shop, we're a proud supporter of the London International Festival of Early Music (LIFEM) – one of the world's longest-running celebrations of historical music with concerts, workshops, talks, competitions and the famous makers' exhibition. Today, Recorder31 introduces one of this year's star recorder performers in an exclusive interview.
Plus! Scroll down for an exclusive first look at the latest in the LIFEM Encore video series, featuring Erik Bosgraaf and the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra.
Following her first-prize performance at last year's Moeck/SRP Solo Recorder Competition, held at LIFEM every two years, Eun Sol Lee returns to London this November to perform her Winner's Recital alongside guest musicians Réka Nagy (viola da gamba) and Sophie Esterbauer (lute). Her programme, entitled 밤새[bamsæ]—overnight explores contrasting nocturnal scenes from Couperin and Hottetere's French baroque, to extracts of Korean tradtional music.
We caught up with Sol to find out more about her year since she won the competition, and what we have to look forward to in her performance at LIFEM this year...
The Early Music Shop: We thoroughly enjoyed your performance at the final of the SRP/Moeck Solo Recorder Competition last year. What were your highlights of travelling to London to take part in the festival and competition?
Eun Sol Lee: First of all, London felt absolutely massive to me. It is incomparably larger than Vienna, where I currently live, so I actually got lost quite a few times.
It was my first time attending the LIFEM festival, and I was pleasantly surprised by how large the audience was for the competition. Furthermore, the atmosphere of the church concert was truly wonderful.
EMS: Your programme for your Winner’s Recital at LIFEM 2026 is entitled “Bamsæ–Overnight”. Can you tell us a little bit about the story behind the programme and some of the music you will play?
ESL: The word “Bamsæ” translates to “overnight” or “all night long” in Korean, but it can also double as a wordplay meaning “a night bird”. Since the recorder is so often compared to a nightingale, I thought this would be a perfect, evocative theme to express through the combination of recorder, viola da gamba, and lute. The recital will unfold across four distinct nocturnal themes: La nuit (Darkness), Les soupirs amoureux (Sigh of love), Le sommeil (Sleep), and Le réveil-matin (Wake-up call).
One of the greatest strengths of the recorder, in my opinion, is its limitless potential. While it does have inherent constraints in terms of volume and range, I truly believe there is almost no piece of music that cannot be interpreted or brought to life on this instrument. Because of this philosophy, the programme features a blend of original recorder repertoire and arrangements originally written for other instruments. Audiences can look forward to a diverse musical journey, including a Bach violin sonata, a traditional Korean secular vocal piece Changbu-taryeong (Song of the travalling entertainer), and a recorder sonata by Louis Mercy, alongside several fresh, new works!
EMS: We love that your programmes often reference your heritage with Korean traditional music. Is the recorder used often for folk music in Korea, or are there other native flutes you could tell us about?
ESL: We don't really have a traditional Korean instrument that directly mirrors the recorder. Instead, we have wind instruments like the daegeum and the piri, which are closer in form and function to the western flute and oboe, respectively.
When I play Korean music on the recorder, I don't see it as a process of introducing or projecting my Korean identity outward. Rather, I feel it works from the outside in—it's about projecting the language and gestures of early music onto myself. Even though Korea doesn't have an instrument with a structure or tone similar to the recorder, there are moments when playing traditional Korean music on the recorder feels like a perfect fit. In those moments, I truly realise that music transcends backgrounds; it is, at its core, a universal medium for human connection.
EMS: Do you have any other upcoming projects or performances you’d like to share with our readers?
ESL: In July, my Vienna-based ensemble AS TIME GOES BY – A New Consort of Music released our very first album. It’s a project featuring music by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and his contemporary composers, all performed on four or five recorders. Looking ahead, we’ll be holding a CD launch concert in Fertőd, Hungary on October 2nd. And right after that, on October 13th, I have my Master’s graduation recital coming up!
EMS: Lastly, do you have any advice for our readers who might be thinking about buying a new recorder during Recorder31?
ESL: Since I haven't personally purchased an instrument through The Early Music Shop, I’m not sure how much help I can be, but I did notice they have an incredible variety of instruments! It’s fantastic that they offer so many choices, ranging from semi-handmade models to custom instruments by individual makers.
When choosing a recorder, the most critical factor I consider is how the instrument handles resistance. I always test its limits by blowing a bit harder than my usual comfortable level and applying stronger articulation than normal, just to see where it begins to lose stability. Also, always check the intonation with a tuner!
Eun Sol Lee performs at LIFEM 2026 on Friday 13 November at 1pm at St Michael & All Angels Church, Blackheath – click here to book tickets.
LIFEM Encore!
Throughout this year, the LIFEM team have been releasing full concert films on YouTube, and today we're pleased to be premiering the latest in the series. Recorded live at LIFEM 2023, the concert 'Vivaldi Forever' featured Artistic Director Erik Bosgraaf performing alongside the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra.
In addition to the well-known Four Seasons in their own version for several recorders and orchestra, the concert also includes the familiar concerto for the smallest member of the recorder family, the ‘flautino’, and two concertos for strings. Let yourself be surprised by the virtuosity of Bosgraaf and the sparkling music of Antonio Vivaldi!
Click here to explore the full LIFEM Encore series on YouTube!
If you enjoy the free LIFEM Encore series, please consider donating to LIFEM – the festival operates as a registered charity. Your generous contributions will accelerate their charitable work, enabling the festival to further support educational initiatives, nurture emerging talent, and present world-class performances.
The full LIFEM programme includes concerts by Phantasm & Elizabeth Kenny, Nigel North, L'Artefice, Ensemble Inventio, Erik Bosgraaf & Baltic Baroque Orchestra, and much more – including world-leading recorder makers in the LIFEM Exhibition. Click here to explore the programme so far (with more to be announced soon) and book your tickets.
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REMINDER! Our Entry-Level Recorders promotion continues all weekend at The Early Music Shop, both online and in-store. Explore our curated selection of high-quality, accessible instruments designed specifically for beginners and developing players by clicking here or on the image above. Special prices only until Sunday 16 August 23:59PT!
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Today we are listening to a recorder that is perfect for someone looking to begin their journey with a semi-wooden recorder from day 1, the Moeck Flauto 1 Plus Soprano.
The Flauto 1 Plus brings together the best of both worlds: a synthetic head joint for easy maintenance and a real maple body for authentic wooden warmth. In this recording, listen to how the natural maple body softens the acoustic profile, giving the instrument a sweet, organic core that you just don't get from an all-plastic recorder. The plastic head joint ensures a clean, immediate speech in the upper register, making it remarkably easy to produce a clear, stable tone right out of the box.
To find out more, click here!
Listen to this recorder!
Sammartini Allegro:
Van Eyck Nightingale:
Scale:
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