Mr. Shawn Lee
Mr. Shawn Lee is Director of Orchestras at Phoenixville Area Middle School and Phoenixville Area High School, in the Phoenixville Area School District. Mr. Lee has also taught Strings at Manavon Elementary School. Prior to his appointment at Phoenixville, Mr. Lee was Director of Middle School Orchestras for the Coatesville Area School District, where he was the founding director of the Coatesville Combined Middle School Chamber Orchestra. Before that, Mr. Lee was a music teacher in the School District of Springfield Township in Oreland, PA. Lee is also a Professional Development Coordinator for Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 12.
Mr. Lee was born and raised in Norristown, PA. Growing up in Norristown, he quickly gained a love for musical instruments. During his schooling, he played violin and clarinet all the way through college. When Lee attended Norristown Area High School, he began to experiment with different types of ensembles such as marching band and indoor percussion ensemble. This led to him learning to play more instruments including the baritone horn, which he eventually played with the Reading Buccaneers, where he was fortunate enough to march in three undefeated seasons and win Drum Corps Associates World Championship titles each year that he marched with the Bucs (2012, 2013, 2015). Lee returned to the Buccaneers as a visual technician on staff. After being in this new instructional role, he was very happy to bring home his fourth and fifth world championships during additional undefeated seasons in 2018 and 2019 respectively. In college, Lee was the manager and librarian for the university orchestra and clarinet section leader of the marching band. Mr. Lee has served as an instructor for the band at Ephrata High School, Assistant Band Director for the Marching Red Raiders of Coatesville, Assistant Band Director for the Rustin Golden Knights Marching Band of West Chester, PA, and now teaches Phoenixville's very own Phantom Band!
Mr. Lee conducted the pit orchestra for a successful run of Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Aida” for the All Campus Musical Organization at Millersville University. He has had the pleasure of being a guest conductor and orchestral clinician at multiple levels, and was on staff at “Keeping it Going” Summer Strings Camp of Westminster Conservatory at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Mr. Lee serves as the Artistic Director of Phoenixville's Summer Orchestra Camp.
Mr. Lee's awards include being the recipient of the Harold W. and Miriam W. Shaar String Award, a Main Line (PA) Community Service Award, The Union League of Philadelphia's Good Citizenship Award, A Rotary Achievement Award, was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success and won the society’s “Excellence Award,” and he is an Eagle Scout. He was recently recognized by the Main Line Martin Luther King Association, located outside of Philadelphia, PA, for keeping the dream of Dr. King alive on the Main Line. He was awarded a Board of Governors’ Scholarship for his collegiate studies, and was named a “Student of Academic Distinction.”
Mr. Lee holds a Bachelor’s Degree Magna Cum Laude in Music Education from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and a Master’s Degree in Music Education and Instrumental Conducting from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford.
In addition to his responsibilities at Phoenixville, Mr. Lee is now Adjunct Professor of Strings at Montgomery County Community College serving as the Director of String Ensemble and Instructor of Violin and Viola.