Staff

Dr. Jeeminn Lee,

Director of Music and Choirs

Jeeminn has been part of the Grace Church community for over a decade serving as the Section Leader and Principal Cantor the majority of that time. In addition to her ministry at Grace Church she has served as a choir director or section leader in Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic parishes in New York, New Jersey, as well as in Russia and South Korea.

She is a classically trained singer and choral conductor celebrated for her powerful, vibrant voice and exceptional vocal range—from deep contralto to agile coloratura. Described by The Village Voice as “romantic, exciting, powerful, and vibrant,” she has performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and has been a featured soloist at the Rose Bowl, and at the United Nations 9/11 Memorial Service.

Jeeminn holds an Master of Arts in Opera, Chamber Singing, and Choir Conducting from the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice and Opera from the University of Maryland. Alongside her international opera career, Jeeminn is also a language instructor in Korean and Russian and has provided voice-over and translation services for both government and commercial clients.

Her discography includes Jeeminn Lee (1998), Love (2000), Simply Soulful (2011, Sony-BMG Entertainment), and the forthcoming Simply Spirituals (2026). Since 2015, she has also hosted gospel and jazz radio programs, becoming a beloved voice in the broadcast community.

Ms. Karyn Fen,

Principal Accompanist for Organ and Piano

Karyn Fen is a lifelong member of Grace Church in Nutley, being baptized in the parish as an infant. She grew up with an active love for music, which led her to take part in many aspects of the music ministry at Grace Church: Children’s Choir, Youth Group Choir, Hand Bell Choir, and then eventually as a member of the Adult Choir. In recent years she has served as substitute organist at Grace Church and worked with the Sunday School ministry helping prepare children for special services like the annual Christmas pageant.

Her love for music also expanded to her life outside of the church as part of the “Choralettes” at Nutley High School in her youth. She also gave of her talents to the community by volunteering at senior centers throughout the area playing organ, piano, and flute. Karyn is a member of the Northern New Jersey Choir of Communities, singing with them for more than three decades.

Karyn was the parish organist at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church in Lyndhurst, New Jersey from 1987 until 2020. She was initially taught to play under the tutelage of Mr Kreger (a former Grace Church organist and choir director), and then continued to develop her skills with private lessons with Dr Reinhart, a professor at Kean University. She received her degree in Liberal Arts from Essex County College.