Lee Rogers, a native of Dallas, TX, currently holds the position of Principal Trombone with the Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center Orchestra. Rogers received a Bachelors degree from Southern Methodist University where he studied with John Kitzman. Shortly thereafter, he recorded Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Trombone with SMU’s Meadows Wind Ensemble on Gasparo Records. In 2002, Lee earned a master’s degree from The Juilliard School where he studied with Joseph Alessi. After graduating from Juilliard, Rogers traveled to Japan to represent the United States at the Kyoto International Music Students Festival where he presented a solo recital of American music, including Creston’s Fantasy for Trombone.
As a professional, Rogers has performed and recorded with the Dallas, Cincinnati, Grant Park, National, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras as well as the Buffalo and Naples Philharmonic Orchestras. Highlights include performances in Carnegie Hall and Vienna’s Musikverein with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as well as their 2000 and 2001 summer residencies at the Vail Valley Music Festival. As a member of the Cincinnati Symphony, Rogers participated in numerous tours including Japan, Europe, Carnegie Hall, China, and Singapore. In August 2010, Lee recorded the first-ever CD devoted entirely to low brass orchestral excerpts with members of the Iceland Symphony. He has twice performed as a guest artist at the Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington D.C. This summer, Lee will be joining the faculty of the International Festival Institute at Round Top.