New Hire: Christopher Leslie, West Point Band

Christopher Leslie has won a euphonium position with the West Point Band. He will ship out for basic training in July and start playing with the band in early October. His duties will include performing with the concert and marching bands, the tuba quartet, and other chamber ensembles. Leslie received a Bachelor of Music Education with Distinction from St. Olaf College and a Master of Music in Euphonium Performance from Indiana University. He will finish his D.M.A. at the University of Georgia in the spring of 2016. He has been a featured soloist with the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, the Indiana University Wind Ensemble, the St. Olaf Orchestra, and the St. Olaf Band and has appeared on Minnesota Public Radio. Leslie has garnered success in regional and national competitions, taking first place in the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition, the ITEC Solo and Mock Band Competitions, and the U.S. Army Band National Collegiate Solo Competition. In addition, he has been a runner-up in the MTNA Brass Solo Competition. He attributes his successes to the guidance and support of his teachers David Zerkel, Daniel Perantoni, David Werden, and Hiram Diaz, and to his father, Ken.