Ka-Ling Colleen Lee, centre, from Hong Kong, performing with violinist Tereza Stanislav during the quarter-final round.Jeff McIntosh
The basics This 29-year-old is originally from Kowloon, Hong Kong, and now lives in Hanover, Germany.
Piano cred Lee's parents enrolled her in a choir at 4, and she took her first piano lesson at 5. She has since performed around the globe, including with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and recently recorded an album of Scarlatti sonatas.
In rehearsal She practises five to six hours of day, with 15-minute breaks every 90 minutes.
Favourite music Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28 . "There's a natural feeling to this piece, but of course I love everything by Chopin."
Performance high Her first performance at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall in New York in 2003. "I didn't know I could play there at the time so it was quite exciting."
Performance low A few years ago, Lee was playing in a small town in Germany when the lights above her overheated and shattered onto the stage, sprinkling her dress with glass. "At the time, I heard the sound, it was kind of boom, but I just continued to play because I can't stop in the middle," she recalls. "I know the audience was a little bit shocked."
If she didn't play piano Lee says she would love a job in the world of interior design.