Renée McGee is a trumpet player in the U.S. Coast Guard Band, where she plays lead trumpet in the Guardians Big Band and section trumpet in the concert band. She also freelances locally as a lead and commercial trumpet player, performing regularly with the Birdland Big Band, Hartford Jazz Orchestra, New London Big Band, with pops orchestras throughout the Northeast, and at several local theaters.
Prior to joining the Coast Guard, Renee earned her Master’s of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, where she directed the Five O’Clock Lab Band and became the first woman ever to play lead trumpet in the 7-time Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band. During her time in Texas, she was featured as a soloist at the International Women in Brass Conference, completed a residency with the U.S. Airmen of Note, and was endorsed by the S.E. Shires Company as a performing artist.
In addition to her work as a performer, Renée is a devoted educator. She has published twice in the International Trumpet Guild journal, and is on faculty at the University of Connecticut and the Thames Valley Music School. Renée is a proud alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.