Since their debut at the 1990 Southwest Contemporary Music Festival and Conference in San Marcos, Texas, The Ambassador Duo has been active as a duo performing and giving clinics at numerous colleges, universities, and concert venues throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Italy, Spain, and China.

Critics have hailed Clifford Leaman “an artist of the first order…intuitive, exciting, and enthralling." (Paul Wagner, The Saxophone Journal) Leaman reveals himself to be {an} artist of technical brilliance and emotional commitment." "The range of colors is impressive..." (Jack Sullivan, American Record Guide) Professor of saxophone at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Leaman received the Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Lebanon Valley College, and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in performance from the University of Michigan where he was a student of Donald Sinta. He served on the faculties of Furman University, Eastern Michigan University and The University of Michigan prior to his appointment at the University of South Carolina. He is currently president-elect of the North American Saxophone Alliance, and will serve on the Executive Committee of that organization through 2016.

Leaman is in great demand as a soloist and clinician and has performed and taught throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, France, Slovenia, Sweden, Thailand and in China where he was a featured guest artist eight times since 2004. He has performed as a concerto soloist with the ShenZhen Symphony Orchestra, at the XII World Saxophone Congress in Montreal, Canada (2000), the North American Saxophone Alliance’s 2006 Biennial Conference in Iowa City, Iowa, the 2008 International Navy Band Symposium in Washington D.C., and the XV World Saxophone Congress in July, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. Additionally, Leaman has given master classes at major schools of music and conservatories world-wide, including Northwestern University, Eastman School of Music, University of Michigan, Duquesne University, Bowling Green State University, University of Georgia, University of North Texas, Penn State University, Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón, Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, Conservatoire de Strasbourg, the Royal Academy of Music (Stockholm), Beijing Central Conservatory, Shanghai Conservatory and the Sichuan Conservatory.

Leaman, in collaboration with pianist Derek Parsons, formed the Ambassador Duo in 1990. The Ambassador Duo has performed concerts throughout the world and has released three critically acclaimed compact discs on the Equilibrium label titled “Brillance” (EQ-21), “Excursions” (EQ-55), and “Illuminations” (EQ-77). Leaman has also performed extensively with percussionist Scott Herring, giving concerts and master classes at many universities and conservatories since 2005 when they formed the RoseWindDuo. Their debut compact disc recording, “Release,” (EQ-92) was released in 2008 and features works for alto saxophone and marimba. Leaman is also featured on a variety of recordings of solo and chamber works for Redwood Records, CRS and the University of Arizona Recordings.

An avid supporter of contemporary music, Leaman has commissioned and given the world premiere performances of numerous works, including concertos by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, Leslie Bassett and Michael Colgrass. His recording of the Bassett with the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra is available through Equilibrium Records (EQ-63). Dr. Leaman is an artist-clinician for Rico Reeds, Inc. and the Conn-Selmer Company, Inc. and performs exclusively on Selmer saxophones and Rico reeds.

Since his orchestral debut at age 12, Derek Parsons has performed for appreciative audiences in a career spanning four decades. Critics have hailed him as “a wonderfully sensitive musical artist” “…[displaying] extraordinary technique” (The Brantford Expositor), and “…in total command” (The Evening Telegram). His performances have been described as “…a drama of epic proportions” (The Evening Telegram), and of his recordings, “the range of colors is impressive…” (American Record Guide). Active as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and collaborative artist, he has performed throughout the United States, in Canada, Spain, Italy, and China, and has been heard on South Carolina Educational Television, South Carolina Educational Radio, and CBC Radio and Television in Canada. His repertoire encompasses a wide spectrum of styles, genres, and periods. Since joining the faculty of Furman University in 1988, he has performed concerti of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt, Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, and Gershwin with several local and regional ensembles.

Parsons has devoted a large part of his musical career to the study of the piano music of Franz Liszt. He has performed virtually the complete cycle of the Années de pèlerinage in major centers throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Europe and Asia. Among those performances are offerings of the entire Swiss book, and the entire Italian book, in single concerts.

Parsons has been a member of The Ambassador Duo with saxophonist Clifford Leaman for over 20 years. Their performance repertoire ranges from early transcriptions to the most avant-garde original works for the ensemble. They have performed several world premieres of new works and their critically acclaimed recordings are also available on the Equilibrium label.

While in South Carolina, Dr. Parsons has enjoyed a long and productive association with the South Carolina Music Teachers’ Association. He has given performances on several SCMTA conference programs, and has held many officer positions within the organization, including his current position of Past President. In addition to his teaching duties at Furman, Dr. Parsons serves as Director of the Furman University Summer Keyboard Institute. He is best known in the Greenville area for his annual performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue at Furman's Concerts by the Lake series.

Parsons holds degrees and diplomas in Performance Studies from the University of Western Ontario, the University of Michigan, and Trinity College of Music, England. His major teachers have included Charles Fisher, Theodore Lettvin, Ronald Turini, and Martin Katz.