Matthew Lee, trumpet, is an active freelance musician and teacher in the Chicago area.  He performs as Principal and section trumpet in the Chicago Sinfonietta and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to being a member of the Chicago Brass Quintet, he also performs with the Millar Brass Ensemble and Tower Brass of Chicago and as a pit musician at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora.  During his tenure as a freelance musician in Chicago, he also performed regularly as a sub and extra musician with the Lyric Opera and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

 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 a mentor and teacher for the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and the SEED program through Chicago Sinfonietta, serving musicians from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.  During the summer, for the past twenty three years, Mr. Lee has served  on the faculty of the Birch Creek Music Academy in Door County, WI.

 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.  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.