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LEE MILLS

CONDUCTOR

"Mills emerged in his element here, showing an obvious fondness for this epic, unjustifiably neglected score. Along with a compelling dramatic arc, he elicited characterful playing for the many solos that enrich it."

-Thomas May, Musical America

BIO

BIO

Five-time winner of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Lee Mills is internationally recognized as a passionate, multifaceted and energetic conductor. In naming Mills as the ‘New Artist of the Month’ for March 2022, Musical America praised Mills’ ‘omnivorous musical temperament eager to try out highly contrasting musical styles and approaches.’

 

During the pandemic, Mills was an invaluable asset to the Seattle Symphony, giving dozens of performances, including the 2020 Season Opening Gala on Seattle Symphony Live, and recording multiple albums with the orchestra. Mills also was the ‘hero of the hour’ (Seattle Times) when he stepped in at the last minute to replace Thomas Dausgaard for a performance of Hanna Lash’s world premiere double-harp concerto The Peril of Dreams and Amy Beach’s epic Gaelic Symphony in November 2021, about which Thomas May wrote in Musical America, ‘Mills emerged in his element here, showing an obvious fondness for this epic, unjustifiably neglected score. Along with a compelling dramatic arc, he elicited characterful playing for the many solos that enrich it.’

 

In the fall of 2022, Mills was the Solti Foundation U.S. Resident at Lyric Opera of Chicago, where he worked with maestro Enrique Mazzola on the Lyric's production of Verdi's Don Carlos. The League of American Orchestras selected Mills for the 2018 Bruno Walter National Conductors Preview where he conducted the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and in 2017 Mills was selected as a semi-finalist in both the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition and the Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liege International Opera Conducting Competition. In addition, he conducted alongside David Robertson in the highly acclaimed U.S. Premiere of John Cage’s Thirty Pieces for Five Orchestras with the Saint Louis Symphony.

 

In addition to his work with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony, he has led concerts with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra (USA), Rochester Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony and São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra. In 2014, Mills was the Assistant Conductor to David Robertson for Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the USA.

 

Through his project Vibe Sinfônica, initiated in 2018 in partnership with nightlife producer The Week Group in São Paulo, he has brought classical music to thousands of new listeners through performances in unusual settings. In their inaugural performance, Vibe Sinfônica performed music of Vivaldi at The Week Group’s 14th anniversary in São Paulo, playing to a crowd of over 10,000 EDM fans and opening for DJ Offer Nissim. This project was also featured in a video clip of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of The Week.

 

​At the invitation of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director Marin Alsop, he received the prestigious BSO-Peabody Institute Conducting Fellowship in 2011. Under the tutelage of Gustav Meier and Marin Alsop, Mills received his Graduate Performance Diploma and Artist’s Diploma in Orchestral Conducting at the Peabody Institute. He was a conducting fellow at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen during the summers of 2012 and 2013, working closely with Larry Rachleff, Robert Spano and Hugh Wolff. Mr Mills graduated cum laude from Whitman College, where he studied with Robert Bode.

CALENDAR

Upcoming Concerts:

  • Grant Park Music Festival: Ravel Bolero
    Grant Park Music Festival: Ravel Bolero
    Jul 23, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
    Chicago, 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601, USA
    PROGRAM Gioachino Rossini – Overture to The Barber of Seville Manuel de Falla – Nights in the Gardens of Spain Franz Liszt/orch. Ferruccio Busoni – Rhapsody Espagnole Maurice Ravel – Bolero
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  • Greenville Symphony: Hollywood Retrospective (Opening Night)
    Greenville Symphony: Hollywood Retrospective (Opening Night)
    Oct 04, 2025, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Step into the glamour of Hollywood and celebrate the opening of the GSO’s “American Season” with Opening Night: Hollywood Retrospective! Music Director Lee Mills takes the stage with iconic music from legendary films, including Ben Hur, Casablanca, Star Wars, Beauty and the Beast, and more.
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  • Greenville Symphony: Hollywood Retrospective (Opening Night) (1)
    Greenville Symphony: Hollywood Retrospective (Opening Night) (1)
    Oct 05, 2025, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Step into the glamour of Hollywood and celebrate the opening of the GSO’s “American Season” with Opening Night: Hollywood Retrospective! Music Director Lee Mills takes the stage with iconic music from legendary films, including Ben Hur, Casablanca, Star Wars, Beauty and the Beast, and more.
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  • Greenville Symphony: Peter and the Wolf
    Greenville Symphony: Peter and the Wolf
    Nov 01, 2025, 7:30 PM – 11:30 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Back by popular demand, Peter and the Wolf returns to the Gunter Theatre for two enchanting performances! Delight in the melodies of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 paired with an adventure-filled story about two children from the Carolina Mountains named RaeLynn and Luke.
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  • Greenville Symphony: Peter and the Wolf (1)
    Greenville Symphony: Peter and the Wolf (1)
    Nov 02, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Back by popular demand, Peter and the Wolf returns to the Gunter Theatre for two enchanting performances! Delight in the melodies of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 paired with an adventure-filled story about two children from the Carolina Mountains named RaeLynn and Luke.
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  • Greenville Symphony: Holiday at Peace
    Greenville Symphony: Holiday at Peace
    Dec 12, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Celebrate the magic of the season with Holiday at Peace, Greenville’s favorite family Christmas tradition! This year’s festive program features the stunning vocals of Broadway’s Aladdin, Michael Maliakel!
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  • Greenville Symphony: Holiday at Peace (1)
    Greenville Symphony: Holiday at Peace (1)
    Dec 13, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Celebrate the magic of the season with Holiday at Peace, Greenville’s favorite family Christmas tradition! This year’s festive program features the stunning vocals of Broadway’s Aladdin, Michael Maliakel!
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  • Greenville Symphony: Holiday at Peace (2)
    Greenville Symphony: Holiday at Peace (2)
    Dec 14, 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Celebrate the magic of the season with Holiday at Peace, Greenville’s favorite family Christmas tradition! This year’s festive program features the stunning vocals of Broadway’s Aladdin, Michael Maliakel!
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  • Greenville Symphony: Dvorak Cello Concerto
    Greenville Symphony: Dvorak Cello Concerto
    Feb 07, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Immerse yourself in a vibrant exploration with a program that asks the question “what is American music?”
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  • Greenville Symphony: Dvorak Cello Concerto (1)
    Greenville Symphony: Dvorak Cello Concerto (1)
    Feb 08, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Immerse yourself in a vibrant exploration with a program that asks the question “what is American music?”
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  • Greenville Symphony: Grand Canyon Suite + Rachmaninoff 2
    Greenville Symphony: Grand Canyon Suite + Rachmaninoff 2
    Mar 14, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Experience the majesty of Grand Canyon Suite + Rachmaninoff 2, a concert that spans cultures, landscapes, and emotional depth. The evening opens with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by rising star Jonathan Mamora, winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.
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  • Greenville Symphony: Grand Canyon Suite + Rachmaninoff 2 (1)
    Greenville Symphony: Grand Canyon Suite + Rachmaninoff 2 (1)
    Mar 15, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Experience the majesty of Grand Canyon Suite + Rachmaninoff 2, a concert that spans cultures, landscapes, and emotional depth. The evening opens with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by rising star Jonathan Mamora, winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.
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  • Greenville Symphony: The Last Five Years: American Music Now
    Greenville Symphony: The Last Five Years: American Music Now
    Mar 28, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Experience the cutting edge of American music with a concert of works composed within the last five years. This is a bold orchestral exploration of contemporary creativity.
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  • Greenville Symphony: The Last Five Years: American Music Now (1)
    Greenville Symphony: The Last Five Years: American Music Now (1)
    Mar 29, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Experience the cutting edge of American music with a concert of works composed within the last five years. This is a bold orchestral exploration of contemporary creativity.
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  • Greenville Symphony: West Side Story + Fanfare for the Common Man
    Greenville Symphony: West Side Story + Fanfare for the Common Man
    Apr 11, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Celebrate the triumph of American spirit and artistry with Fanfare for the Common Man and Bernstein’s West Side Story Symphonic Dances!
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  • Greenville Symphony: West Side Story + Fanfare for the Common Man (1)
    Greenville Symphony: West Side Story + Fanfare for the Common Man (1)
    Apr 12, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Celebrate the triumph of American spirit and artistry with Fanfare for the Common Man and Bernstein’s West Side Story Symphonic Dances!
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  • Greenville Symphony: Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl who Defied an Army
    Greenville Symphony: Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl who Defied an Army
    Apr 25, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Discover the courage and spirit of a Revolutionary War heroine with Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl Who Defied an Army. This world premiere by Peter B. Kay and Mark Waldrop brings to life the tale of Dicey Langston.
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  • Greenville Symphony: Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl who Defied an Army (1)
    Greenville Symphony: Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl who Defied an Army (1)
    Apr 26, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Greenville, 300 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
    Discover the courage and spirit of a Revolutionary War heroine with Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl Who Defied an Army. This world premiere by Peter B. Kay and Mark Waldrop brings to life the tale of Dicey Langston.
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CALENDAR
Schumann Symphony No 2 | Greenville Symphony Orchestra
39:36
Concerto Americano: George Gershwin - Porgy and Bess Suite - Regência: maestro Lee Mills
24:37
Amy Beach: "Gaelic" Symphony – IV. Allegro di molto
09:54
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 / Lee Mills & Seattle Symphony
03:17
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto / Noah Geller & Seattle Symphony
07:55
Carinhoso (Pixinguinha) | Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira no Partituras
09:36
Whitney Mongé: Day of Rest
04:10
Vivaldi: L'inverno ("Winter") from The Four Seasons
02:37

VIDEOS

VIDEOS

PHOTOS

PHOTOS

© 2022 LEE MILLS

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