'Trombone Prodigy' Lee Hyunbin Struggles with Tuition Barrier Despite Admission to Prestigious US Music School

Accepted to the New England Conservatory, but Facing the Risk of Giving Up His Dream Due to Tuition and Living Expenses
"We are reaching out to the local community and acquaintances for help, but there has been no clear support yet"

Hyunbin Lee

A trombone prodigy who moved the world with his music now stands before the wall of reality. Lee Hyunbin (18), a musical genius from Seocheon, Chungnam, has been accepted to the prestigious New England Conservatory (NEC) in the United States, but is on the verge of giving up his dream due to the burden of tuition and living expenses.

Lee received a final acceptance offer from NEC, one of the world's most renowned music schools, along with a 60% scholarship.

However, the total annual cost, including living expenses, amounts to about 130 million KRW, and even after the scholarship, he still needs to secure about 58 million KRW per year. Given his family's financial situation, this amount is realistically beyond their means.

Lee's father, Lee Kyungjoo, has been raising his two sons alone since his divorce five years ago and is the sole breadwinner, earning an annual salary of 50 million KRW at a construction company.

On the 10th, Lee told Asia Economy, "When I heard the news of Hyunbin's acceptance to NEC, my heart was overwhelmed, but the reality of the tuition soon weighed heavily on me," adding, "We are reaching out to the local community and acquaintances for help, but there has been no clear support yet, so I am very worried."

He continued, "When you say you're teaching arts and sports, people often say it's because you have money, but Hyunbin was raised not with money, but with potential, because he had talent."

Lee Hyunbin first encountered the trombone in elementary school, and with his extraordinary musical sense and perseverance, he earned recognition on the world stage.

In 2023, he was selected as a 'Chung Mongkoo Scholarship' recipient, won the ATW National Solo Trombone Competition hosted by the US Army Band, became the youngest winner of the International Trombone Association Gilberto Gagliardi Competition, and achieved simultaneous victories at the Robert Marsteller and Larry Wiehe competitions, making his name known at major international events.

In particular, he drew attention from the global music community by becoming the youngest Korean ever and the first in association history to win three out of the five major categories at the International Trombone Competition. Domestically, he also proved his skills by winning the trombone category at the 64th Dong-A Music Competition, earning recognition as a next-generation musical talent.

With his admission to NEC scheduled for September, Lee must make his final decision on enrollment this month. However, as there is still no clear solution for the tuition and living expenses, he is desperately waiting for the warm support of the local community and benefactors.

Lee Hyunbin is ready to move the world with his music. In order to ensure that he does not have to leave the stage due to financial reasons, even a small amount of attention and support is urgently needed now.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.