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The Musicians of the Ridgewood Concert Band
Our Members

The RCB consists of professional, amateur, and student musicians from the New York/New Jersey area who exhibit a high degree of musicianship and a vast repertoire of musical experiences. RCB members are dedicated to the art of the presenting the best of wind ensemble repertoire, as well as creating opportunities for fostering and nurturing music education and appreciation. Members represent a diverse set of professional backgrounds with an extended education in music and performance experience.

If you are interested in playing with the Ridgewood Concert Band, please contact our Personnel Manager at 201-493-9030 or email us at info@ridgewoodband.org for more information and to schedule an audition.

Picture of Dr. Christian Wilhjelm
Dr. Christian Wilhjelm - Music Director and Conductor

Dr. Christian Wilhjelm has been the Conductor and Music Director of the Ridgewood Concert Band since it’s founding in 1983. Under his direction, the RCB has become widely recognized as one of the leading wind orchestras in the nation.

Dr. Wilhjelm graduated from the New England Conservatory where he studied with Harry Shapiro of the Boston Symphony. He was the principal hornist with the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Gunther Schuller and the Conservatory Wind Ensemble under the direction of Frank Battisti. While a student, he spent three summers performing in the Fellowship Orchestra at Tanglewood where he had the distinction of being named a Leonard Bernstein Fellow. He received a Master of Music degree from The College of New Jersey and a Doctor of Education degree from Teachers' College, Columbia University.

From 2000-2005 Dr. Wilhjelm was the Music Director of the legendary Goldman Band in New York. His other conducting appearances include the Allentown Band, the Hanover Wind Symphony, the United States Army Field Band, the Virginia Wind Symphony, the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, the Norwalk Symphony (CT), the Plainfield Symphony (NJ) the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra, In December 2000, the legendary Harvey Phillips appointed Dr.Wilhjelm as the conductor of the annual Tuba Christmas in New York City. This event, which features up to 500 tuba and euphonium players, is one of the longest running holiday events in Rockefeller Center (second only to the annual tree lighting).

Dr.Wilhjelm is an active educator. He has enjoyed a 35 year career as a public school music teacher, the past 28 years at Pascack Hills High School in Montvale NJ. He has taught on a part-time basis for over 25 years in several universities including serving as the interim director of bands at Montclair State University from 1994-1996 and Wind Ensemble Director at New York University in 2006-2007. Dr. Wilhjelm is an active clinician and has worked with youth and adult bands from throughout the country and as far afield as China, Australia, Brazil, and Hawaii.

As a professional musician, Dr. Wilhjelm has performed the French horn with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops and, as a principal, with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, the Boston Opera Orchestra and the Richmond Symphony. Dr. Wilhjelm has performed with many great conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Sir Colin Davis, Arthur Fiedler, William Steinberg, and Sejii Ozawa. He has also performed as a horn player with many leading jazz and popular musicians including: Burt Bacharach, Benny Carter, Art Farmer, Isaac Hayes, Rufus Reid, Sonny Rollins, Henry Mancini and the hornist with the brass quintet in residence at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ.

Under Dr. Wilhjelm’s direction the Ridgewood Concert Band has participated in the commissioning and premier performances of new works by many composers including Steven Bryant, Patrick Burns, Johan de Meij, David Gillingham, John Mackey, Jonathan Newman, Gregory Pascuzzi, David Sampson, Joan Tower, Joseph Turrin, and Michael Valenti. Dr. Wilhjelm has also been actively promoting works by great composers long associated with the Goldman Band including Percy Grainger, Erik Leidzen, Robert Russell Bennett, Vincent Persichetti, John Philip Sousa, and Edwin Franko Goldman.

Dr. Wilhjelm has taken the band on critically acclaimed tours of Central Europe (1998), the French Riviera (2003), China (2008), and Brazil (2009) and Germany, Austria, and Italy (2010). In April 2012, the band was a co-sponsor and featured performer at the Association of Concert Bands national convention in Poughkeepsie NY. With the RCB he has produced two compact discs: "Organic Band" with organist David Fedor, and "Celebrations" featuring the music of composer Michael Valenti. Dr. Wilhjelm is currently the New Jersey State Chair for the National Band Association, the state membership chair for the Association of Concert Bands, and member of the selection committee for the Sudler Silver Scroll, the nation's top honor for community bands presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation.

Winds
Piccolo
  • Max Taylor
Flutes
  • Annette Baron
  • Jill Bloom
  • Carolyn Crumb
  • Jennifer Kasyan
  • Mary Nussear
  • Leslie Preuss*
  • Jin Shin
  • Tomomi Takamoto
Oboes
  • Kyungmi Chung
  • Andrea Norwalk
English Horn
  • Andrea Norwalk
Bassoons
  • Steve Asleson
  • Linda Balavran*
  • Jessica Frane
Contrabassoon
  • Harry Searing
Clarinets
  • Kim Fleming
  • Naomi Freshwater
  • Roger Jarman
  • Joe Mariany
  • Lyn M. Martorano
  • Marcie Phelan
  • Jean Roughgarden
  • Rachel Schulman
  • Beth Seavers
  • Neil Sheehan
  • Karen Summers
  • Richard Summers*
  • Janet Vidovich
  • Charles Yassky
Eb Clarinet
  • Amy Wilcox
Bass Clarinets
  • Glenn Chernicky
  • Joel Kolk
  • Leigh Meyers
Contrabass Clarinet
  • Matthew Jandorf
Alto Saxophones
  • James Aslanian
  • Lois Hicks-Wozniak*
Tenor Saxophone
  • Lewis Archer
Baritone Saxophone
  • Michael DePompeo

* Principal ** Co-Principal

Brass
Cornets
Trumpets
  • Dave Bychek
  • Paul Goldberg
  • David Hurd
  • Michael Russo
  • Ann Sirinides
  • Kahn Smith
  • Tony Spinuzzi
  • Joe Stella
  • Richard White
  • Roger Widicus*
Horns
Trombones
  • Tom Abbate
  • Noreen Baer*
  • Paul Kirby
  • Keith Marson
  • Federico Perez
  • Lloyd de Vries
Euphoniums
Tubas
  • Robert Sacchi
  • Michael Thurlow*

* Principal ** Co-Principal

Percussion
Percussion
  • Josh Emanueln
  • Douglas Feig
  • Charles Lachman**
  • James Mallen
  • Adrienne Ostrander
  • Noah Parker
  • John Wagner**
  • Mark Zettler

* Principal ** Co-Principal

Keyboard/Strings/Harp
Harp
  • Karen Stern
Keyboard
  • Janelle Heisse
String Bass
  • Donald Higdon
Staff/Volunteers

An organization is only as good as its people and the people supporting The Ridgewood Concert Band are as good as it gets! It takes many hours of thought, preparation, and execution to continuously and consistently produce a high quality, affordable product. Below is a list of the talented, indefatigable volunteers who give considerable time and energy.

Librarian
  • Lyn Martorano
Personnel Coordinator
  • Paul Kirby
Publicity
  • Annette Baron
  • Jennifer Kasyan
House Manager
  • Marilyn Wagner
House Representative
  • John Butler
Ticket Office
  • Virginia Baird
  • Darel DePompeo
  • Sylvia Devries
  • Debbie Levenson
  • Carol Sheehan
  • Keiji Takamoto
  • Nancy Zwell
Photography
  • Andy Lieb
Recording Coordinator and Sales
  • Noreen Baer
  • Julia Baer
Hospitality Representative
  • Kathleen Peters
  • Phillip Peters
Youth Soloist Competition Representative
  • Jane Rondin
Side By Side Concert Representative
  • Lyn Martorano
Lym Martorano
  • Tony Spinuzzi