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 has been the Principal Tubist of the West Michigan Symphony since 2023. In addition, Riley is the Principal Tubist of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. He formerly served as the Principal Tubist of the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale from 2019 to 2024 and the Adrian Symphony Orchestra from 2023 to 2025. Riley has appeared with numerous other orchestras across the United States, including the Lexington Philharmonic, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, the Helena Symphony Orchestra, the Stockton Symphony Orchestra, and the Wisconsin 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 Chicago Classic Brass Quintet, 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 local establishments and annoying customers.

Riley holds music education as an important part of his career, and frequently works with brass players of all levels in masterclasses, as a clinician, and through private study. He maintains teaching studios at William Fremd High School, Evanston Township High School, and Oswego East High School. Riley holds a Master of Music degree from the DePaul University School of Music where he studied with Floyd Cooley, a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music where he studied with Scott Choate and Matthew Tropman, and has additionally studied at length with Mark Fisher and Andy Smith of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Sponsored by Dr. Chris Jansen-Yee