Matthew Lee, trumpet, is an active freelance musician and teacher in the Chicago area.  As a member of  the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Chicago Brass Quintet and  the Millar Brass Ensemble , he also performs regularly with the Chicago Philharmonic and the Elgin Symphony.  He has performed and recorded with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of Chicago.  Past ensembles he performed with include the Illinois Philharmoinic Orchestra (38 years, Principal Trumpet) and Tower Brass of Chicago (40 years).

 

Holding a BA in Music Education from Western Illinois University and a MM degree in Trumpet Performance from Northwestern University, his primary teachers have included William DeJong, Vincent Cichowicz and Adolph Herseth.   As a soloist, Mr. Lee was the winner of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago Concerto Competition and was a semi-finalist in both the Concert Artists Guild of New York City and Maurice Andre International Competition in Paris.

 

In addition to his private studio teaching , he is also a teacher for the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and the Chicago Sinfonietta Education and Outreach program, Making Music, serving musicians from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.  For the past thirty one years, Mr. Lee has served  on the faculty of the Birch Creek Music Academy in Door County, WI, retiring in 2025 concluding the Academy's 5oth Anniversary Season.  Mr. Lee previously taught at DePaul Univeristy, Elmhurst College and the VanderCook College of Music.

 

He has performed on several Chicago Symphony Orchestra recordings, including two Grammy Award  winners.  The Millar Brass Ensemble, in which he is a member, made Billboard Magazine top classical crossover CD and has another ten CD recordings  to their credit.  Other CDs iLee can be heard on nclude those with the Chicago Brass Quintet, Tower Brass of Chicago, the Elgin (IL) Symphony, Chicago Opera Theatre, Chicago Sinfonietta, Milwaukee  Symphony Orchestra and Sones de Mexico.  All recordings can be found on all streaming platforms.