Lester grew up in Singapore and moved to South Australia in 2012. He graduated with First Class Honours in Violin Performance from the Elder Conservatorium of Music, studying with Keith Crellin and Wendy Heiligenberg, and is the recipient of the Elder Conservatorium Director’s Award, the Arved and Suzanne Kurtz Scholarship, the Florence Cooke Violin Prize, and the Prize for Excellence in Postgraduate Research.
As a huqin player, he was a First Prize winner at the Singapore National Chinese Music Competition and studied with renowned huqin player Zhang Yuming. He is also a founding member of Silk Strings Ensemble, an Adelaide-based huqin trio.
He has led orchestras on multiple national tours with Co-Opera and the State Opera of South Australia, and has performed in and attended major festivals and music programs across Australia.
He is currently Director of Music Performance at Pembroke School, and also serves as a board observer with Chamber Music Adelaide, a board member of the Adelaide Hills Chamber Players, and committee member with South Australia State Music Camp.
Lester is also pursuing a PhD at the University of Adelaide, investigating the performance intersection between the violin and huqin.