Wayne Leechford is a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, music instructor, orchestra contractor and music producer from Raleigh, North Carolina. Stage credits include artists such as Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Idina Menzel, “Weird Al” Yankovic, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Coasters, Joan Rivers, Clay Aiken, Regis Philbin, Susan Lucci, Lorna Luft, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Harry James Orchestra, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, and New Century Saxophone Quartet.
Regionally, he has performed with the North Carolina Symphony, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Raleigh Symphony, Tar River Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, Free Spirits Ensemble, Tar River Symphonic Band, North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra and many more.
As a woodwind doubler, he performs for the Durham Performing Arts Center, Stephen Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, North Carolina Theatre, PlayMakers Repertory Company, Theatre Raleigh and others. He has played for national Broadway tours including The Book of Mormon, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Motown, Kinky Boots, Newsies and many more. For a listing of show credits, click here.
His appearances have included live television, radio broadcasts and studio recording sessions. Studio credits: Discovery Channel “MINI MONSTERS”, TLC “Sister Wives”, Discovery Health Channel “Clark Howard: Dollars and Sense”, Warner Brothers movie trailer “The Whole Nine Yards” and documentaries including “Bending Sticks: The Sculpture of Patrick Dougherty” and “Emptying the Skies”. He performed for President Bill Clinton at the White House in 1995.
Wayne Leechford teaches woodwinds and owns and operates Leechford Music in Cary, NC. He has been a clinician for local high school and middle school wind ensembles, marching bands, and jazz bands. His private students consistently receive top awards for their performances. He taught on the faculty at North Carolina State University, Meredith College, Wake Technical Community College and Shaw University.
As a classical saxophonist, he commissioned and recorded over ten new works for the baritone saxophone. Wayne’s debut classical baritone saxophone album, Works of Art, was released in 2012. He presented classical baritone saxophone recitals at the World Saxophone Congress, International Saxophone Symposium, and North American Saxophone Alliance Conference.
As a music producer and songwriter, Wayne has worked on two full-length albums for the electronic duo, Kattalax. Their eponymous 2018 debut and the 2020 album, Unreliable Existence.
Wayne Leechford received his BM and MM degrees from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he studied with James Houlik and James Kalyn.