Jarrod Briley was appointed as Principal Tuba of the Hartford Symphony in 2022 by Maestro Carolyn Kuan. A native of coastal North Carolina, he received degrees from both East Carolina University and Bard College before moving to Connecticut. Alongside the HSO, he also serves as Principal Tuba of the Cape Symphony Orchestra and Des Moines Metro Opera, and performs regularly with ensembles across the Northeast such as the New Jersey Symphony, Albany Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Boston Ballet, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and many others.

Along with his orchestral performances, Jarrod is an avid chamber musician, soloist and educator. He performs widely with the Hartford Symphony Brass Quintet and has joined the Yale Schola Cantorum for various interdisciplinary projects, including for the recording of Judith Weir’s In the Land of Uz with Hyperion Records. As a soloist Jarrod regularly presents recitals and leads initiatives to broaden the tuba repertoire including a commissioning project in 2024 that produced a new solo work for tuba and piano, “Matressence: The Motherhood Suite” by Dr. Donia Jarrar. He has been a featured soloist with the Hartford Symphony twice, performing Wynton Marsalis’ Concerto for Tubist and Orchestra in 2025, and with the Hartford Symphony Brass Quintet in 2023. Jarrod is the Adjunct Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Western Connecticut State University and Instructor of Tuba at Trinity College, and can often be found giving masterclasses and clinics for students of all ages.

Jarrod has studied with many fantastic instructors such as Tom McCaslin, Derek Fenstermacher, Scott Mendoker, Jarrod Williams, and Marcus Rojas. He proudly performs on Eastman and Melton Meinl Weston instruments.