Michael Benner

Michael is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and is a current UNLV graduate student studying trumpet performance. He received his Bachelor's of Music degree in Music Education from Mars Hill University in 2019.

While attending Mars Hill, Michael was the principal trumpet in the Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, and Marching Band. He has travelled around the state of North Carolina performing with these groups. Michael was also a part of the University Choir while at Mars Hill; a group that performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He played in the Asheville area as well as other parts of Western North Carolina with jazz bands, concert bands, brass quintets, and churches. He taught marching band in the area and lessons to students attending schools in the area.

After Mars Hill, Michael was a high school band director in Winston-Salem, NC from 2019 to 2022. While teaching, Michael directed two concert bands, a marching band, and a jazz ensemble. Under his direction, these ensembles received numerous Superior and Excellent ratings at concert and marching band festivals in North Carolina. Michael has also had students who participated in All-County, All-District, All-Region, and All-State concert and jazz honors bands. In addition to high school band, Michael has also taught middle school band and elementary school music, as well as private music lessons on piano and most brass instruments.