Brian Thomas Murphy
Associate Professor of Music
bmurphy@wmcarey.edu
(601) 318-6462
Department: Music
Dr. Brian Murphy is active as a soloist, collaborative pianist, vocal coach, church musician, and pedagogue. He has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist and presented master classes across the United States, Mexico, Chile, Germany, Austria, and Italy. He has performed with artists such as soprano Angela Nicoli, soprano Susan Ruggiero, flautist Fabio Colajanni, and violinist Jorge Gonzalaz, Brian also performs with his father, Slater Murphy, organist, in the father-son duo, Murphy Mixture.
Murphy joined the Winters School of Music faculty at William Carey University, where he teaches applied piano, class piano, piano literature, music history, and collaborates with singers, instrumentalists, and choral ensembles, and Carey Opera. Under his direction, William Carey became the first All-Steinway school in the state of Mississippi in 2017. During his time at Carey, Murphy has received three Top Teacher awards from Steinway and Sons. Prior to his appointment at William Carey University, Murphy taught and collaborated at Mercer University and Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. While in Georgia, he also appointed as the Assistant Choral Director of the Middle Georgia Choral Society.
Murphy completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at The University of Southern Mississippi. He holds a double Master of Music in Collaborative Piano and Choral Conducting from Mercer University, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Mississippi College. Brian remains an active member of the Music Teachers National Association, the Mississippi Music Teachers Association, where he serves as Collaborative Piano Chair, and the Hattiesburg Music Teachers League. Brian lives in Hattiesburg with his wife, LeAnn, who teaches at Petal Middle School. They have one son, Patrick, and one daughter, Elizabeth.