Kevin Lyons comes from Clinton Mississippi, and has long had a dual passion for both classical and jazz music. Lyons received his early training in Mississippi from the great Sonny Hill and Louisiana State University with James West, and at The University of Southern Mississippi with Allan Cox.

 

Lyons continued his education at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Michael Sachs and James Darling and earned his Bachelors Degree in Music Performance. During that time he was awarded the Bernard Aldestein Award in Trumpet and was a participant at the Aspen Music Festival.

 

After conservatory life, Kevin Lyons went on the road for two years playing with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, touring the U.S., Canada, Japan, the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. Lyons settled in the US in Atlanta, Georgia, where he became the Associate Principal Trumpet with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Principal Trumpet of the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, the Greenville (SC) Symphony, the Georgia Symphony and the Columbus (GA) Symphony.

 

Kevin Lyons has been featured as soloist with the Georgia Symphony, the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, the Gwinnett Philharmonic and the Atlanta Community Orchestra.

In 2018/19 Lyons toured nationally with world renowned pianist Mac Frampton as special guest artist.

Kevin Lyons' playing can be heard on a number of major label recordings with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and artists Sinead O'Connor, Matchbox Twenty, and John Driscoll Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band. Lyons is a founding member of the funk band Bumpin the Mango and is a member of the Joe Gransden Big Band. He can be regularly seen throughout Atlanta and the Southeast's jazz and live music venues, and has been a side man for artists Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Frankie Valli and Peter Frampton. Lyons has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Blue Note Jazz Club. His chamber ensemble credits include founding memberships of Il Brasso Magnifico and Atlanta Brassworks. He has performed in featured ensembles at the conferences of the International Trumpet Guild, International Trombone Association and International Tuba Euphonium Association. 

 

Kevin Lyons also performs with other classical ensembles,  has joined the Cleveland Orchestra for a European tour and been Guest Principal Trumpet for the Malaysia Philharmonic, Nu Deco Ensemble and the Miami City Ballet Orchestra.

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Education:

• Louisiana State University

• BA, Music Performance - Cleveland Institute of Music