UWF Dr. Grier Williams School of Music presents Lee Harrelson, euphonium

Harrelson is a professor of music and the director of instrumental studies and bands at Missouri Western State University. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he studied music education and music performance before completing his master’s and doctorate at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music and Dance.

Harrelson is the founder of the Fountain City Brass Band and currently serves as its artistic director, executive director and principal euphoniumist. The Fountain City Brass Band is one of America’s premiere brass and percussion ensembles and has been featured throughout the U.S. and Europe in concerts and competitions. The FCBB is currently the top ranked brass band in the United States. Under Harrelson’s artistic leadership, the band has won eight North American Brass Band Association Championships, nine U.S. Open Brass Band Championships and one Scottish Open Brass Band Championship, since it began competing in 2004. At the 2011 All England International Brass Band Competition, as a member of the FCBB, Lee was named Best Instrumentalist; a first for an American at an English brass band competition. During his tenure, the FCBB has produced four commercial recordings, performed with countless world-class soloists and developed a youth brass program, the Fountain City Youth Brass Academy, that serves over 120 students per year.

Dedicated to furthering the brass band movement in America, Harrelson regularly serves on the faculty of the North American Brass Band Summer School and in 2019, along with his wife Helen, founded the National Youth Brass Band of America.

In the fall of 2019 Harrelson was awarded the first ever visiting international professor position with the world famous Brighouse & Rastrick Band in England. In addition to collaborating with and conducting the band, Harrelson was able to work closely with Professor David King, during preparations for the band’s appearances at the British Open Brass Band Championships in Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in Royal Albert Hall, London.

Harrelson can be heard on numerous commercially released recordings and has appeared throughout North America and Europe as a clinician, soloist and chamber musician. 

Harrelson is a Buffet Group/Besson Performing Artist.

The program will include such works as Café 1930 by Astor Piazzolla, Harlequin by Philip Sparke, Ducati SPS 916 by Roland Szentpali, and more.

Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and military, $14 for UWF faculty and staff and non-UWF students and $7 for high school students. UWF students get in free with a valid Nautilus card. For more information or to reserve tickets, please contact the CFPA Box Office at 850.857.6285 or online at uwf.edu/tickets.