Palm Beach Symphony Names Christopher M. De León As 2025 Instrumental Music Teacher Of The Year

Christopher M. De León, Director of Jazz Studies at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, has been named the 2025 Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year by Palm Beach Symphony. He was recognized during the Symphony's Ninth Annual Holly Jolly Symphony Fête.

During the ceremony, De León received a plaque and gift basket of indulgences. His school will receive coaching sessions and/or masterclasses by Palm Beach Symphony musicians during the spring semester; a classroom visit and coaching by Palm Beach Symphony Music Director Gerard Schwarz; an invitation for a student music ensemble to perform at a Symphony event; and complimentary tickets for the teacher and students to attend a Masterworks concert. The 2025 Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year Award was supported by Florida Power & Light and Carol S. and Joseph Andrew Hays, and Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf.

De León is a dedicated educator with a career spanning 20 years, 16 of which have been spent in public school music education. He has a passion for jazz music and an unwavering commitment to nurturing and developing the highest potential within each of his students.

Throughout his tenure as a jazz educator, De León's ensembles have consistently earned national acclaim across a wide range of musical styles. His dedication to fostering each student's growth through ambitious performance goals has led his groups to perform on many of the nation's most prestigious stages. Under his leadership, his jazz ensembles have been recognized as five-time national finalists at the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival (2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025), including being named the Honorable Mention (4th Place) Jazz Ensemble in 2025. His groups have also achieved top honors as national finalists at the Swing Central Jazz Festival (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020), received multiple DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards (2018, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025), and earned first place at both the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival (2015) and the National Jazz Festival (2022). 

Beyond the classroom, De León is committed to giving back to the jazz education community as much as possible. He has served as a guest clinician and conductor for the Pasco and Pinellas County All-District Jazz Ensembles, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Regional Competitions and will serve as the 2027 Florida All-State Middle School Jazz Band conductor. He is also a contributing author to the worldwide jazz education publication Teaching Music through Performance in Jazz, Volume 3 (GIA Publications), a globally recognized resource for jazz educators.

In addition to his success in jazz, De León has led concert and marching ensembles to remarkable achievements, including top honors at festivals held in Carnegie Hall and Atlanta Symphony Hall, a Florida Marching Band Coalition Class 5A State Championship (2011), eight Bands of America Regional Championships (2012–2019), a Bands of America Grand National Championship (2014) and a featured performance in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Believing that the most impactful learning experiences come through mentorship with world-class professionals, De León regularly connects his students with leading jazz artists and educators. His ensembles have shared the stage with renowned musicians such as Terell Stafford, Marcus Printup, Wycliffe Gordon, Scotty Barnhart, Ron Blake, Sherman Irby, Bob Reynolds, Jason Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, Valery Ponomarev, Buster Cooper, Dave Stryker, John Lamb and Tatum Greenblatt.

At the heart of De León's philosophy is a deep belief in the transformative power of music education. He views jazz as a uniquely human art form that cultivates creativity, discipline, teamwork and perseverance. Jazz teaches students to listen, collaborate and improvise with authenticity—skills that translate beyond the bandstand into every aspect of life. These experiences help shape students into empathetic, confident and well-rounded individuals prepared to face the challenges of the world with integrity and imagination.

De León is happily married to his wife, Traci, a mathematics teacher at Dreyfoos, and is a proud father to his daughter Alyssa (13) and sons Julian (8) and Jonathan (6).    

About Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year Award

Each year since 2018, students, parents, colleagues and members of the community are invited to nominate an extraordinary music teacher for Palm Beach Symphony's Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year Award. Nominees must have an outstanding instructional technique; ability to nurture, connect with and inspire students; be active in the community as a performing arts educator; display an exemplary history of work as a music educator and leader; and demonstrate an ability to successfully transfer knowledge, passion and love of music to students. To be eligible, nominees must be a K-12 educator in a public, private or charter school in Palm Beach County with a minimum of three years of experience as a band or orchestra instructor and meet standards of professional and ethical conduct, as well as demonstrate respect and integrity in working with students, parents and colleagues. A panel of expert judges comprised of esteemed musicians, industry professionals and educators in Palm Beach County review applications and select the winner. 

For more information and to see a complete list of previous winners, go to PalmBeachSymphony.org. Nominations for the 2026 Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year Award will open in August 2026 and will be awarded during the 10th Annual Holly Jolly Symphony Fête in December 2026.

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