Lee Hipp

Principal Tuba

Lee Hipp, principal tuba of the San Antonio Symphony and the San Antonio Brass since 1989, has also performed with the Dallas, Houston and Atlanta symphonies, the Miami City Ballet Orchestra and the Southwest Florida Symphony. Mr. Hipp spent the 1998-2000 seasons performing as acting principal tuba with the Utah Symphony. Lee has also taught tuba and euphonium at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Utah and is currently instructor of tuba and euphonium at St. Mary’s University.

Lee Hipp is a native Texan and received his B.M. in Education from Texas Tech University studying with David Payne. He earned his M.M. in Tuba Performance at Southern Methodist University studying with Everett Gilmore and Sandy Keathley. Mr. Hipp has also studied with David Kirk of the Houston Symphony, Dennis Miller of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and Donald Little of the University of North Texas/ Dallas Opera.

Mr. Hipp has performed as a soloist, in concert and recital, with groups such as the San Antonio Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the Dallas Wind Symphony, the Winters Chamber Orchestra, the San Antonio Brass, the King William Winds and the University of Utah Wind Symphony. He has also conducted educational clinics across the country as well as the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Bandmasters Association.

Along with his many performing and teaching duties, Lee has also devoted much of his time as a volunteer representative for the musicians of the San Antonio Symphony. He served several terms as Chair of the Orchestra Committee as well as negotiating several contracts for the orchestra.

Mr. Hipp spends six weeks every summer as the principal tuba of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina where he performs with the Eastern Philharmonic and teaches gifted, young musicians from across the United States.

Lee has recorded with the Utah and Atlanta symphonies and can be heard on the 1999 Telarc recording of the Brahms Requiem with the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as well as the 2005 Grammy Award winning Atlanta Symphony and Chorus recording of the Berlioz Requiem.

Mr. Hipp enjoys living in northwest San Antonio with his wife, Melinda, who is a local mortgage professional and their two dogs Redman and Sassy. Both Lee and Melinda enjoy playing golf and traveling throughout the Texas Hill Country.