Gar-Wei Lee (she/they) is an alumni of the Great Wall Youth Orchestra where she played the Chinese lute/pipa for almost ten years. She feels called to join the PSMEF Board of Directors as GWYO was a very significant part of her life.  Playing traditional Chinese music brings Gar-Wei closer to her Chinese culture while also allowing her to explore her place as a Chinese American growing up in the Bay Area, and feels strongly that music education should be accessible to all, regardless of family income or background. 

Gar-Wei is also an avid amateur musician of classical music, spending much of her free time playing violin and viola in the Oakland Civic Orchestra and Piedmont Chamber Orchestra. She also enjoys playing piano in chamber music ensembles. 

When Gar-Wei is not playing music she is either working at the California Department of Public Health as an infectious disease epidemiologist, hanging out with her partner and cats, or riding a horse.