Gary Lee has an M.M. in Cello Performance, St. Louis Conservatory of Music; B.M. in Cello Performance (cum laude), Illinois Wesleyan University. Teachers include Yuan Tung, Robert Luke, Gordon Robson, and Karl Lear. Chamber music coaches have included Yuan Tung, Leslie Parnas, and Rico McNeela.
Active as a freelance musician in both Missouri and Illinois; former principal cellist, Town & Country Symphony; former associate principal cellist, University City Symphony; an extra cellist for the Landolfi String Quartet, Gateway Festival Orchestra, and other area ensembles; former member, St. Louis Philharmonic, Webster Symphony, and Bloomington-Normal (IL) Symphony. Has substituted in orchestras including Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Quincy (IL) Symphony, Alton Symphony, and Belleville Philharmonic. Member, Musicians Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197); former member, Viola da Gamba Society of America, and former chapter president of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at Illinois Wesleyan University. Involved in work for music publishers for over two decades, including one company formerly concerned with music therapy and problems of performing musicians; studied other instruments including piano and viola da gamba; private cello teacher since 1994.