Tony Brence is a professional saxophonist and clarinetist who graduated from the Lionel Hampton School of Music studying Music Education, Saxophone Performance, and Jazz Studies. He was an active performer in the school’s jazz program, playing lead alto in Jazz Band I, the Jazz Messengers combo, and singing in Jazz Choir. Aside from the jazz idiom, he also enjoys playing in saxophone quartet, Wind Ensemble, as a classical soloist, and in other styles busking/gigging around the area, such as funk, pop, and hip-hop. Tony has performed with No Soap, Radio, The Swingin’ Seven, The Sultry Swines, Traffyk Jam, and Pumice Pocket among other groups.

Tony was selected by the director of the LHSOM for the 2022 GRAMMY Museum Affiliate Collective, a jazz combo composed of top jazz students from music schools across the world including the Berklee College of Music, Temple University, and the University of Chichester. The GRAMMY collective performed on the 2022 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival main stage all three nights of the festival. At the same festival, Tony was named the top Collegiate Alto Saxophone Soloist in 2020, and has been fortunate enough to share the stage with accomplished performers such as Steve Tressler, Vern Sielert, Pat Shook, Steve Kovalchek, Dawn Clement, and Paul McKee. As a part of the LHSOM saxophone studio, Tony has also been invited as a featured performer at both the 2019 and 2020 North American Saxophone Alliance conferences. Tony has been fortunate enough to study saxophone with John Nastos and Patrick Jones. 

Outside of performing and teaching privately, Tony is a K-12 music teacher and is incredibly passionate about building positive culture and sharing his love for music in the classroom. He has been fortunate enough to teach in the band rooms of Chief Umtuch MS, Battle Ground HS, Washougal HS, and Prairie HS among others. In his free time, he enjoys relaxing with a good movie or TV series, writing music, or kicking back with friends.