Bruce Ayers

Nashville African American Wind Symphony, Tennessee State University

• BIO

  Dr. Bruce V. Ayers, Jr. is an award-winning conductor, educator, and arts leader, who's served as Professor of Music and Euphonium Instructor at Tennessee State University. He is the Founder, CEO, and Musical Director of the Nashville African American Wind Symphony (NAAWS), an ensemble dedicated to uplifting and preserving Black musical excellence. A 2025 Nashville Emerging Leader Award recipient in Arts, Culture, and Entertainment, Dr. Ayers is also a member of the Recording Academy and a 2024 Nashville Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree. He previously served as Director of Bands at the Grammy Award-winning Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School, where he led the band to national stages, including an Emmy-nominated performance with artist Nick Cave at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
  
  Dr. Ayers holds degrees from Virginia State University (B.S., Music Education), Tennessee State University (M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction – Music), and Trevecca Nazarene University (Ed.D., Organizational Leadership). He is a sought-after euphonium soloist, conductor, and adjudicator, with appearances across the U.S., Canada, and the Bahamas. A proud member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Dr. Ayers has led chapters to multiple national awards and is a member of a vast amount of professional national and local music organizations.

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• VIDEO
• ARTIST PLAYS
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    1100 Performance Series JEP1120 Euphonium
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    1100 Performance Series JEP1120S Euphonium
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    1000 Series JEP1025S Euphonium