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Brandon Lee
About Me
Brandon Lee
As the youngest faculty member in the jazz studies program at The Juilliard School,
Brandon Lee is committed to preserving the integrity of America’s uniquely original art
form, jazz. Brandon has toured the world presenting his hard-swinging, soulful and
progressive music to captive audiences. As an artist for Wren/Tang Studios, Brandon has
recently released his debut album, “From Within” to critical acclaim. With praise ranging
from Jazziz Magazine to jazz master Benny Golson, His style has been described as “a rare
combination of power and subtlety” and as “playing from the deepest grotto of your
heart’s core.”
Born in 1983 in Houston, Texas, Brandon is the middle child in a musical family of three
siblings. His interest in music began at an early age. Encouraged by his father, a former
band director, he began playing piano at age 2 and trumpet in the fourth grade at Parker
Elementary School Fine Arts Magnet. He furthered his playing at Johnston Middle School
Fine Arts Magnet. In the fall of 1997, Brandon broadened his love for jazz as he studied at
the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (H.S.P.V.A.).
In the fall of 2001, Brandon Lee joined 17 other students in launching a new Jazz Studies
program at The Juilliard School. In the summer of 2002 Brandon was awarded a
scholarship by Wynton Marsalis to attend The International Achievement Summit in Dublin,
Ireland. Since he has been a student at Juilliard, Brandon has been privileged to perform
in 4 different countries with members of the Jazz Orchestra: Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, and
England. In the fall of 2002, Lee was given the opportunity to perform with members of
the LCJO, which included his teacher, Victor Goines on saxophones, Herlin Riley on the
drums, and Richard Johnson on piano. In December of this same year he was contracted
through Jazz @ Lincoln Center to play a Miles Davis Tribute Concert in the Kaplan
Penthouse. Over the past few years, has played with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in a
number of concerts and was recently given the opportunity to record with them on a NBA
pre-game show project in December, 2005. Also in 2007, Brandon recently toured with
the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra where he was one of the youngest members in the
band.
Over a 7 year period in New York, Brandon has had the opportunity to play with a plethora
of great jazz musicians: Benny Golson, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, Joe Wilder, Wynton
Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Tom Harell, Hank Jones, Ray Brown, Eddie Henderson, Bob
Leslie Hurst, Billy Childs, Peter Washington, Carla Cook, Carl Allen, Ernestine Anderson,
Lewis Nash, etc. Though a consummate sideman, Brandon has often performed as a
leader in New York playing his original compositions and arrangements.
Brandon holds both a Bachelors and Masters of Music Degree from The Juilliard School’s
jazz studies program.