EDUCATION: Ian Lester (b. 1994) is an award-winning composer, euphonium player, and teacher currently pursuing his Doctorate degree in euphonium performance and Master’s degree in composition at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, where he also received his Master's degree in euphonium performance. Ian received his Bachelor’s degree in euphonium performance and pursued additional composition studies at Oakland University in his home state of Michigan.
COMPOSING: Ian’s music has been described as having an "excellent mix of tonal vocabulary" and being "very thoughtful and concise" (Dr. Chris Combest, ITEA). His music is tonal and focuses on melodic and rhythmic structure, drawing inspiration from film music and Romantic Era music. Ian’s works have been premiered and recorded by performers such as the Julius Quartet, the North Texas Euphonium Quartet, the SPLICE Ensemble, Chimera Contemporary, In Motus Tuba Quartet, Don-Paul Kahl, Steve Darling, Jonathan W. Voth, Richard Demy, Irving Ray, Louis Setzer, Thomas Stein, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Oakland University, and IUP Tuba/Euphonium ensembles, Conviviality Trio, Tubas Ignis, the Flex Saxophone Quartet, the Oakland University Trumpet Ensemble, and the Oakland University Brass Band and Wind Symphony in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Fort Myer, and numerous universities, conferences, and recital halls around the world. In 2016, Ian’s composition Sonata for Tuba ‘Hades God of the Underworld’ won the Pershing’s Own U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Composition Competition where the version for contrabass tuba received its world premiere at the 2017 Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Arlington, Virginia. The bass tuba version of Hades was premiered and recorded by Steve Darling and can be heard on his debut CD Dualities. In 2018, Ian was named the winner of the highly competitive inaugural North Texas Euphonium Quartet Composition Competition with his piece Reminiscence and Death Machine, which can be heard on the quartet’s debut CD Machines. In 2020, two of Ian's works, INTO THE MADHOUSE for solo tuba and Reflect, Refract for solo euphonium were selected as honorable mentions for the inaugural Leonard Falcone Call for Solo Works. That same year, Ian's work Persevere and Rebuild, for the Sun Will Rise Again received an honorable mention in the "When Tuba Come One' International Composition Competition. In 2021, Ian won the Mirari Brass Quintet Call for Scores with his work Three Episodes for Brass Quintet. That same year, Ian was one of ten composers accepted into the Julius Quartet’s EMERGE SOLSTICE summer workshop with his work Two Vignettes for String Quartet, a workshop in which Ian worked with the world-renowned Julius String Quartet and Grammy Award-winning composer Steven Mackey. Ian was selected as the 2021 Composer in Residence for the nationally recognized and award-winning Volker Brass Quartet, which culminated in the world premiere performance of Ian's work ENERGY SUITE. Most recently, Ian was named the winner of the 2022 UMKC Composition Competition with his work Mental Pendulum written for and premiered by the Factory Seconds Brass Trio. Ian's primary composition teachers include Terry Herald, Ben Fuhrman, Paul Rudy, Yotam Haber, Chen Yi, and Zhou Long. Ian has also worked with Marilyn Shrude and Anthony R. Greene.
PERFORMING: At Oakland, Ian studied with Dr. Kenneth Kroesche and was principal euphonium in the school's top wind ensemble and its award-winning brass band, also doubling on E-flat tuba in the latter group. In 2014, Ian was named a national finalist for the M.T.N.A. Senior Brass Solo Competition held in Anaheim, California and the following year, was a finalist for the 2015 Oakland University Orchestral Concerto Competition. In 2017, Ian was named the winner of the Michigan M.T.N.A. Young Artist Brass Solo Competition and runner-up for the East Central Regional Competition. Ian enjoyed a successful chamber music experience at OU, having been named a winner of the 2014 and 2017 Oakland University Distinguished Student in Chamber Music award along with receiving 2nd Place in the Adult Chamber Music Competition at both the 2016 and 2017 North American Brass Band Championships in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his tuba quartet Tubas Ignis. At UMKC, Ian studies with Thomas Stein and is a member of the Conservatory's prestigious Wind Symphony and Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble and is principal euphonium of the Fountain City Academy Brass Band. In 2019, Ian won 1st prize in the North American Brass Band Championship's Adult Baritone/Euphonium Slow Melody Solo Competition. In 2020, Ian was named the winner of the Missouri M.T.N.A. Young Artist Brass Solo Competition and runner-up for the West-Central Regional Competition.
TEACHING: Ian has been teaching private lessons to euphonium, trombone, and tuba students since 2015 when he was the low brass instructor for the Oakland University Music Preparatory Division as well as the Shelby Township Academy of the Arts. In 2017, Ian was a conducting and administrative assistant for the OU Golden Grizzlies Athletic Band. In this role, he conducted the band during several televised university basketball games and handled secretarial work and email correspondences. At UMKC, Ian served as the graduate euphonium teaching assistant from 2018-2020, where he helped teach a music history course and taught private lessons to undergraduate euphonium students. The assistantship also gave Ian the opportunity to teach middle and high school euphonium and tuba students in low-income areas through the UMKC Musical Bridges program as well as additional lessons through the Conservatory's Academy program. From 2018 to 2020, Ian was the euphonium, trombone, and tuba instructor at R.E.W. Music. He taught private lessons to a studio that ranged from ten to fifteen students ranging from elementary to high schoolers, held bi-annual studio recitals, and led several workshops on a variety of musical topics. Ian has served as a low brass instructor and visual aid for several competitive high school marching bands in Michigan including L'Anse Cruise North High School and Farmington High School. Ian continues to teach lessons through the UMKC Conservatory Academy and Musical Bridges program where his students consistently earn superior ratings in Solo and Ensemble contests and place in all-district and all-state bands along with other honor ensembles.
COMPOSING: Ian’s music has been described as having an "excellent mix of tonal vocabulary" and being "very thoughtful and concise" (Dr. Chris Combest, ITEA). His music is tonal and focuses on melodic and rhythmic structure, drawing inspiration from film music and Romantic Era music. Ian’s works have been premiered and recorded by performers such as the Julius Quartet, the North Texas Euphonium Quartet, the SPLICE Ensemble, Chimera Contemporary, In Motus Tuba Quartet, Don-Paul Kahl, Steve Darling, Jonathan W. Voth, Richard Demy, Irving Ray, Louis Setzer, Thomas Stein, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Oakland University, and IUP Tuba/Euphonium ensembles, Conviviality Trio, Tubas Ignis, the Flex Saxophone Quartet, the Oakland University Trumpet Ensemble, and the Oakland University Brass Band and Wind Symphony in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Fort Myer, and numerous universities, conferences, and recital halls around the world. In 2016, Ian’s composition Sonata for Tuba ‘Hades God of the Underworld’ won the Pershing’s Own U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Composition Competition where the version for contrabass tuba received its world premiere at the 2017 Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Arlington, Virginia. The bass tuba version of Hades was premiered and recorded by Steve Darling and can be heard on his debut CD Dualities. In 2018, Ian was named the winner of the highly competitive inaugural North Texas Euphonium Quartet Composition Competition with his piece Reminiscence and Death Machine, which can be heard on the quartet’s debut CD Machines. In 2020, two of Ian's works, INTO THE MADHOUSE for solo tuba and Reflect, Refract for solo euphonium were selected as honorable mentions for the inaugural Leonard Falcone Call for Solo Works. That same year, Ian's work Persevere and Rebuild, for the Sun Will Rise Again received an honorable mention in the "When Tuba Come One' International Composition Competition. In 2021, Ian won the Mirari Brass Quintet Call for Scores with his work Three Episodes for Brass Quintet. That same year, Ian was one of ten composers accepted into the Julius Quartet’s EMERGE SOLSTICE summer workshop with his work Two Vignettes for String Quartet, a workshop in which Ian worked with the world-renowned Julius String Quartet and Grammy Award-winning composer Steven Mackey. Ian was selected as the 2021 Composer in Residence for the nationally recognized and award-winning Volker Brass Quartet, which culminated in the world premiere performance of Ian's work ENERGY SUITE. Most recently, Ian was named the winner of the 2022 UMKC Composition Competition with his work Mental Pendulum written for and premiered by the Factory Seconds Brass Trio. Ian's primary composition teachers include Terry Herald, Ben Fuhrman, Paul Rudy, Yotam Haber, Chen Yi, and Zhou Long. Ian has also worked with Marilyn Shrude and Anthony R. Greene.
PERFORMING: At Oakland, Ian studied with Dr. Kenneth Kroesche and was principal euphonium in the school's top wind ensemble and its award-winning brass band, also doubling on E-flat tuba in the latter group. In 2014, Ian was named a national finalist for the M.T.N.A. Senior Brass Solo Competition held in Anaheim, California and the following year, was a finalist for the 2015 Oakland University Orchestral Concerto Competition. In 2017, Ian was named the winner of the Michigan M.T.N.A. Young Artist Brass Solo Competition and runner-up for the East Central Regional Competition. Ian enjoyed a successful chamber music experience at OU, having been named a winner of the 2014 and 2017 Oakland University Distinguished Student in Chamber Music award along with receiving 2nd Place in the Adult Chamber Music Competition at both the 2016 and 2017 North American Brass Band Championships in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his tuba quartet Tubas Ignis. At UMKC, Ian studies with Thomas Stein and is a member of the Conservatory's prestigious Wind Symphony and Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble and is principal euphonium of the Fountain City Academy Brass Band. In 2019, Ian won 1st prize in the North American Brass Band Championship's Adult Baritone/Euphonium Slow Melody Solo Competition. In 2020, Ian was named the winner of the Missouri M.T.N.A. Young Artist Brass Solo Competition and runner-up for the West-Central Regional Competition.
TEACHING: Ian has been teaching private lessons to euphonium, trombone, and tuba students since 2015 when he was the low brass instructor for the Oakland University Music Preparatory Division as well as the Shelby Township Academy of the Arts. In 2017, Ian was a conducting and administrative assistant for the OU Golden Grizzlies Athletic Band. In this role, he conducted the band during several televised university basketball games and handled secretarial work and email correspondences. At UMKC, Ian served as the graduate euphonium teaching assistant from 2018-2020, where he helped teach a music history course and taught private lessons to undergraduate euphonium students. The assistantship also gave Ian the opportunity to teach middle and high school euphonium and tuba students in low-income areas through the UMKC Musical Bridges program as well as additional lessons through the Conservatory's Academy program. From 2018 to 2020, Ian was the euphonium, trombone, and tuba instructor at R.E.W. Music. He taught private lessons to a studio that ranged from ten to fifteen students ranging from elementary to high schoolers, held bi-annual studio recitals, and led several workshops on a variety of musical topics. Ian has served as a low brass instructor and visual aid for several competitive high school marching bands in Michigan including L'Anse Cruise North High School and Farmington High School. Ian continues to teach lessons through the UMKC Conservatory Academy and Musical Bridges program where his students consistently earn superior ratings in Solo and Ensemble contests and place in all-district and all-state bands along with other honor ensembles.
Farmington High School Marching Band Staff (2017) R.E.W. Music Studio Recital (2018)
