He was 55. His mother, Lee Hsien-Ming, was the first woman pianist to graduate from Shanghai Conservatory. He quickly became known for his creativity in the new field of musical electronics. In 1996, Tcherepnin won the University of Louisville Grawmeyer Award for Musical Composition for his Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra. The piece premiered in 1995 at Sanders Theatre with violinist Lynn Chang '75, cellist Yo-Yo Ma '76, and the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra under David Commanday '76.
Funeral arrangements are private.
A memorial service is being planned.