Matthew Lee

Trumpet | Elmhurst, IL

Matthew Lee, trumpet, is an active freelance musician and teacher in the Chicago area. He performs as Principal Trumpet in the Chicago Sinfonietta and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. Other ensembles in which he performs includes the Chicago Brass Quintet, the Millar Brass Ensemble and Tower Brass of Chicago. Lee is a regular substitute and extra musician with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of Chicago.  

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, 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 a mentor and teacher for the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and the SEED program through Chicago Sinfonietta, serving musicians from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Lee has served on the faculty of the Birch Creek Music Academy for 30 years. 

Lee has performed on several Chicago Symphony Orchestra recordings, including two Grammy Award winners. The Millar Brass Ensemble, of which he is a member, made Billboard Magazine top classical crossover CD. Other CDs include 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.