Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kui-Im Lee studied music at Seoul National University (B.M in music) in Korea and the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D. in music) in the United States.  While she was in her junior year, she won the first prize in composition at the prestigious Dong-A Music Competition in Korea.  At the University of Pennsylvania, she was awarded a University Fellowship for her entire graduate studies and was also nominated for the Mellon Dissertation Fellowship twice.  She studied music composition with Dr. George Crumb of Penn and music theory with Dr. Thomas Christensen of the University of Chicago.  She also studied organ with Dr. Robert Triplett of the University of Iowa and Dr. Robert Parris of Mercer University.

She has presented her research papers and organ performances at regional, national and international conferences, including the College Music Society, National Conferences in San Francisco (2004), Salt Lake City (2007), Atlanta (2008) and International Conference in Bangkok, Thailand (2007). She also presented her papers at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in 2004, 2007 and 2008, and has served on the paper reviewing committee for the conferences. In addition, she serves as an AP reader for Advanced Placement Exam in music theory. She is interested in Schenkerian theory and interdisciplinary studies, integrating various disciplines and applying theoretical knowledge and experience into practical applications of learning and making music. 

She is currently Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Organ at the University of Northern Iowa and Organist at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Waterloo, Iowa. In her free time, Lee enjoys playing with her cats Chloe and Soso, cooking Korean food, shopping, and playing the organ.