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Demondrae Thurman is considered one of the stars of the formidable generation of brass soloists.  His euphonium playing has been described as “awe inspiring’, and he is touted as “an amazing musician”.  Demondrae has a firm international reputation as a euphonium soloist having performed in France, Germany, England, Norway, Romania, and throughout North America.  Many of America’s premiere colleges and universities have hosted him as a performer and teacher and he continues to be in high demand.  Over the last ten years, Demondrae has been an invited guest artist/clinician at many of the world’s prestigious euphonium festivals including the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference, U.S. Army Band Tuba and Euphonium Conference and the Leonard Falcone Competition.  His primary teachers are John Stevens, J. Michael Dunn, James Jenkins, and Daniel Drill.

Demondrae’s conducting career began in 1999 when he co-founded the wind ensemble at Alabama State University. In the six years with that ensemble, his reputation grew as conductor and clinician. He conducted several honor bands and served as an adjudicator for the Alabama Bandmasters Association. While living in Montgomery, Alabama, Demondrae conducted a performance of the Christmas portion from Handel’s Messiah with the Alabama State University choir and chamber orchestra. His symphony orchestra debut came in 2008 conducting Scheherazade by Rimsky Korsakov with the Huxford Symphony Orchestra of the University of Alabama. Demondrae’s primary conducting teachers include Kenneth Ozzello, David Becker, and Gerald Welker. 

Demondrae is also an active chamber musician.  He plays first euphonium and trombone in the highly regarded Sotto Voce Quartet which tours extensively.  The quartet has released three recordings on the Summit Records label; all of which have received stellar reviews.  Viva Voce!: The Complete Quartets of Johns Stevens won the International Tuba/Euphonium Association award for best chamber music recording in 2006.  The quartet has been featured several times on American Public Media’s, Performance Today.  He also plays first baritone horn in the Brass Band of Battle Creek, a British brass band comprised of many of the world’s best brass and percussion performers.  In addition to his chamber music work, Demondrae is in demand as a euphonium specialist for symphony orchestras including the Atlanta, Eastern Music Festival, and North Carolina Symphony Orchestras. In addition to his chamber music work, Demondrae is in demand as a euphonium specialist for symphony orchestras including the Atlanta, Eastern Music Festival, and North Carolina Symphony Orchestras. 

In addition to the Sotto Voce Quartet recordings, Demondrae released his first solo recording on the Summit Records label in 2005 entitled, Soliloquies. It received a 9/9 out of 10/10 from classicstoday.com and he was referred to as “having earned (his) stripes as one of the premiere euphonium players in the world”.  Showing his dedication to new music, all of the music on the recording was written for him or with his playing in mind.  His second album, Songs of a Wayfarer, was released in early 2011. Demondrae can also be heard on recordings with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Brass Band of Battle Creek, and the New South Jazz Orchestra. 

Currently, Demondrae is Associate Professor of Euphonium and Tuba, Chair of the Brass Area and Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Alabama where he serves as Music Director of the Huxford Symphony Orchestra. His students have been extremely successful having won many of the prestigious international competitions for low brass.  He also teaches at the annual Miraphone Academy.

Demondrae Thurman is a Miraphone Performing Artist and plays exclusively the Miraphone 5050 Ambassador “Edition” euphonium which was designed specifically for him.  As a trombonist, he is an artist for S.E. Shiers. He also plays the custom “Demondrae” model mouthpiece manufactured by Warburton Music Products.