Riley Lindsey Principal - Tuba

“Riley Lindsey is a Chicago-based tubist and teacher, active as a professional orchestral, wind ensemble, solo, and chamber musician. He is the Principal Tubist of the West Michigan Symphony, a position he has held since his appointment in November 2023. In addition, he has held the position of Principal Tubist with the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale since April 2019, and Principal Tubist of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra since April 2023. Riley has also appeared with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, the Helena Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, the Stockton Symphony Orchestra, and the New Philharmonic, and spent the summer of 2019 as the tubist for the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado. This widespread orchestral career has led to Riley playing with renowned musicians from many styles, including famed soprano Anna-Maria Martinez, electric violin virtuoso Tracy Silverman, and comedy-rock legend “Weird Al” Yankovic.

In addition to his “road-warrior” orchestral work, chamber music has played an integral part in Riley’s performance career. In 2018, he won the Midwest Region Tuba Euphonium Conference Quartet Competition with the Baar Form Tuba Quartet. Riley’s brass quintet playing has included performances with the Second City Brass Quintet, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago Brass Quintet, and the Brass Quintet of the National Repertory Orchestra. Around Chicago, he can be caught playing covers of popular hits and soundtracks with Tuba Force, a low brass quintet with a bad habit of hanging out in bars and breweries and annoying customers.

A proponent of the Wind Band medium, Riley served two summers as the principal tubist of the Wheaton Municipal Band, an ensemble with which he has also been featured as a soloist in a performance of Arthur Pryor’s “Blue Bells of Scotland” arranged for tuba and wind ensemble.

He holds music education as an important part of his career, and frequently works with brass players of all levels in the Midwest, Montana, and beyond in masterclasses, as a clinician, and through private study. Riley holds a Master of Music degree from the DePaul University School of Music where he studied with Floyd Cooley, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music where he studied with Scott Choate and Matthew Tropman.”

Sponsored by Dr. Chris Jansen-Yee