
Daniel Rodriguez, tenor
Americans We, Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown
November 17, 2024
Daniel Rodriguez is an operatic tenor from New York City. He became known as “The Singing Policeman” for his work as one of the New York city Police Department’s “National Anthem” singers. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he sang “God Bless America” at memorial events and on television. During appearances with The Allentown Band, Daniel usually honors first responders with his stirring rendition of “Into the Fire.” He often appears in support of his chosen charities.
Daniel first appeared with The Allentown Band for a "Three Tenors" program along with Ciaran Sheehan and Karl Scully. Since then, Daniel has been our guest for many additional programs, including summer concerts at Waldheim Park.
Daniel's web site

Ciaran Sheehan, tenor
Grace Church, Bethlehem
October 4, 2024
Dublin born Ciaran Sheehan is an acclaimed actor and singer, whose accomplishments include over 1,000 performances in the role of The Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway and in Toronto. He started his career in a high school rock band, and in college sang in a heavy metal band in northeast US. Lehigh Valley fans will be interested to learn that Ciaran created, produced and starred in “The Molly Maguires” at the FM Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre.
Ciaran first appeared with The Allentown Band for a "Three Tenors" program along with Daniel Rodriguez and Karl Scully. Since then, Ciaran has been our guest for many additional programs, including summer concerts at Waldheim Park and our annual dinner concert.
Ciaran's web site

Eric Gombert, organ
Live Streams
from St. John's Lutheran Church
April 19 and 26, 2021
Eric Gombert began his ministry at St. John’s June 1, 2017. Eric began his music studies at a young age, first studying piano and later most woodwind instruments prior to beginning organ lessons while in the seventh grade. He was born and raised in the Lehigh Valley area where he graduated from Whitehall High School and studied both piano and organ with Emerson Harding. Eric holds a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in Sacred Music from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ. Eric is a member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and the American Guild of Organists, for which he serves as Dean of the Lehigh Valley Chapter. In addition to working at St. John’s, he also teaches piano and organ.

Michael Krentz, organ
St. Patrick's Day Live Streams
from Christ Lutheran Church Allentown
March 15 and 16, 2021
Michael Krentz, serves as Director of Music/Organist at Christ Lutheran Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He received Bachelor, Master, and Doctor of Music degrees from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Dr. Paul Cohen, saxophone
Levitt Pavilion
July 4, 2023 and 2024
Paul Cohen is one of America’s most sought-after saxophonists for orchestral and chamber concerts and solo recitals. He has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Richmond Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Charleston Symphony and Philharmonia Virtuosi. His many solo orchestra performances include works by Debussy, Creston, Ibert, Glazunov, Martin, Loeffler, Husa, Dahl, Still, Villa-Lobos, Tomasi, and Cowell. In addition, he has played in numerous ensembles, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic, Group for Contemporary Music, Charleston Symphony, New York Solisti, and the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra.
He has recorded three albums with the Cleveland Symphonic Winds under the direction of Frederick Fennell and a compact disk of the music of Villa-Lobos with the Quintet of the Americas as well as recordings with the Saxophone Sinfonia, Philharmonia Virtuosi, New York Solisti, Paul Winter Consort, North-South Consonance, and the New Sousa Band. His most recent recordings include an environmental-jazz CD of solo improvisations, the newly discovered classical saxophone concerto of the 19th-century American composer Caryl Florio, and his solo CD, Vintage Saxophones Revisited, featuring the premiere recording of Cowell’s Hymn and Fuguing Tune #18. He most recently recorded works for saxophone and orchestra by Bernhard Heiden, Alec Wilder, and Sabine Pautza and a solo work by Robert Martin. He is the founder and leader of the New Hudson Quartet, which has performed concertos of Calvin Hampton and Nicolas Flagello, and recently released two CDs of American music.
Dr. Cohen is on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, Rutgers University, Queens College and New York University. Dr. Cohen holds M.M and DMA degrees from Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Galan Kral, Joe Allard, and Sigurd Rascher. He has published more than 100 articles on the history and literature of the saxophone in music journals such as the Saxophone Journal, Instrumentalist, CBDNA Notes, Clarinet and Saxophone Society Magazine of Great Britain, The Grainger Society Journal, and the Saxophone Symposium, and since 1985 a feature column, “Vintage Saxophones Revisited,” for the Saxophone Journal.
Combining his musicological pursuits with performing activities, Dr. Cohen has rediscovered and performed lost saxophone literature, including solo works for saxophone and orchestra by Loeffler, Florio and Dahl (for winds), as well as rare chamber works by Grainger, Ornstein, Sousa, Cowell, Siegmeister, and Loeffler. As arranger he has written The Renaissance Book, a collection of Renaissance songs and dances for saxophone quartet (Galaxy Music); Four Piano Blues of Copland for saxophone quartet (Boosey and Hawkes); and, as editor, has prepared the ossia passages for the Concerto for Saxophone by Ross Lee Finney (Peters Music). His company, To the Fore Publishers, publishes his arrangements and settings for saxophone ensemble as well as original, historical, and contemporary saxophone works from selected composers. Dr. Cohen frequently presents lectures on the saxophone, illustrating his talks with rare instruments, manuscripts, and archival material from his extensive private collection.

U.S. Air Force Band Singing Sergeants
Americans We
Miller Symphony Hall
November 19, 2023
Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., The Singing Sergeants is one of six musical ensembles from The United States Air Force Band and is the official chorus of the United States Air Force. The 24 active-duty musicians support ceremonial and diplomatic functions, education outreach events, and perform concerts throughout Washington, D.C., and the United States.
Formed initially as a men's chorus in 1945, the Singing Sergeants became the first premier military chorus to enlist women in 1973, increasing their musical versatility. Today, the group's members use music to bridge language and cultural differences and to help advance positive diplomatic relations through song. The chorus is regularly featured at national music education conferences, including the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and Chorus America.

Joseph Murphy, saxophone
Halloween
Christ Lutheran Church, Allentown
October 24, 2020
High School from 1983-85. In 1985‑86 he received a Fulbright Award for a year of study in Bordeaux, France with Jean-Marie Londeix where he received a Premier Prix. In June 1996 Dr. Murphy performed a solo recital at Lincoln Center. He has performed in Europe, Taiwan and Japan. Dr. Murphy’s doctoral dissertation “Early Saxophone Instruction in American Educational Institutions” is considered a significant contribution to historical saxophone research. He has premiered over 25 new works. Dr. Murphy’s memberships include Music Educators National Conference, Music Teachers National Association, North American Saxophone Alliance, National Association of College Wind & Percussion Instructors, College Band Directors National Association, Phi Mu Alpha, and Kappa Kappa Psi.

Joanne Pearce Martin, piano
Side-by-Side Concert
Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown
May 3, 2020
A native of Emmaus, PA, and former student of Dr. Allan Birney, pianist Joanne Pearce Martin is the Principal Keyboardist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, appointed by Esa-Pekka Salonen in 2001. A graduate of Philadelphia's Curtis Institute, where she was a student of both Eleanor and Vladimir Sokoloff, she balances a busy career as soloist, chamber musician, & recording artist. She has been a featured performer with the LA Phil on many occasions at both the Hollywood Bowl and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Several recent performances have spotlighted Ms. Pearce Martin as soloist under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, most recently to kick off the LA Phil’s 2018-19 Centennial season with Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. Joanne’s playing of the same Beethoven can also be heard on the soundtrack of the film “The Soloist”, starring Jamie Foxx. With Dudamel again on the podium, she was also the piano soloist in a sold-out and critically-acclaimed performance of Messiaen's epic 100-minute work “Des canyons aux étoiles” at London's Barbican Centre.
Ms. Pearce Martin has been the subject of several national television features, and has collaborated frequently cellist Lynn Harrell and violinist Joshua Bell. With Bell, she has made many television and concert appearances, including the Tavis Smiley Show and a PBS “Great Performances” live concert from Las Vegas’ Smith Center of the Performing Arts. Another recent PBS “Great Performances” broadcast was a quartet performance with LA Phil colleagues to honor composer John Williams in a “Grammy Salute to Musical Legends”.
Ms. Pearce Martin has also performed at dozens of music series and festivals spanning 4 continents, collaborating in recital with artists such as Sir James Galway, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Steven Isserlis, Julius Baker, & Joseph Silverstein. She has been guest soloist with many other orchestras in the U.S. and abroad, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Florida West Coast Symphony, and England’s Huddersfield Philharmonic. Other Los Angeles solo highlights include special performances with the LA Phil in the music of John Adams, with the composer conducting.

James Vaughen, trumpet
St. John's Lutheran Church, Allentown
September 29, 2019
James Vaughen attends the Curtis Institute of Music and is a student of David Pilger, principal trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra. James has performed as co-principal trumpet of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Youth Symphony Encore Chamber Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra. He has soloed with the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra, the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and the University of Illinois Sinfonia da Camera. In 2015, James was featured on the “From the Top” radio program, broadcast nationally on NPR stations, and in 2017 was chosen as a National Young Arts Winner in Classical Music.In 2018, Vaughen was chosen to attend the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, performing in Tokyo, Hiroshima and throughout Sapporo. Prior to beginning his study at Curtis, James spent a year working as an Americorps Intern for Sprint Initiative, a non-profit transformative after-school program in the Mississippi Delta.
James is a 2017 graduate of the University Laboratory High School in Champaign, Illinois, where he studied with Ronald Romm. In his spare time, James enjoys playing tennis, soccer and running to stay active outside of trumpeting!

Ronald Romm, trumpet
Side-by-Side Concert
Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown
May 5, 2019
Ronald Romm, a performer who has appeared worldwide on the stages of almost all major concert venues, music festivals, and international music conferences, is widely acknowledged as one of the pre-eminent trumpeters and clinicians of today. Professor Romm was a child prodigy who began his career as a soloist at the age of 10.
By age 12 he was a member of his family's band, the Romm-Antics, and at 18 he was already a veteran freelance trumpeter in Los Angeles, performing regularly with the Los Angeles Brass Society, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and Los Angeles Brass Quintet. Professor Romm attended the University of Southern California as a scholarship student of James Stamp. He later transferred to the Juilliard School, where he completed his bachelor's and master's degrees and studied with William Vacchiano, legendary teacher and former principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. In New York City, Professor Romm performed with everything from the New York Brass Society to the New York City Opera and Ballet Orchestras to the Radio City Music Hall Symphony Orchestra to Broadway shows.
In 1971, Professor Romm joined the newly formed Canadian Brass, which later established itself as the premiere brass ensemble in the world. In June of 2000, he retired from the group after participating more than 4,500 concerts, 60 recordings, numerous television concert specials, videos, and hundreds of master classes. Professor Romm has performed live and recorded CDs with leading artists including Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Jon Faddis, Doc Severinsen, and brass performers from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and Bayreuth Festival Orchestra.
As an educator, Professor Romm has contributed to the growth of brass performance through hundreds of student clinics and master classes worldwide.

Omri Barak, trumpet
St. John's Church, Allentown
September 30, 2018
Omri Barak has been the principal trumpet of the Allentown Symphony since 2016. As a soloist, Omri has appeared with the Allentown Band, River City Brass Band, and the Edgewood Symphony. Omri recently was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, and has played in the past with the New World Symphony, the Breckenridge Music Festival, and as a member of the National Repertory Orchestra.

Carol Jantsch, principal tuba, Philadelphia Orchestra
Side by Side Concert
Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown
May 6, 2018
Praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as having “a sound as clear and sure as it [is] luxurious,” Carol Jantsch has been principal tuba of The Philadelphia Orchestra since 2006. She won the position during her senior year at the University of Michigan, becoming the first female tuba player in a major symphony orchestra.
In addition to her duties in the Philadelphia Orchestra, Ms. Jantsch is a renowned tuba soloist. She gives solo recitals regularly, and has appeared as a concerto soloist with various ensembles, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony, the St. Petersburg Symphony in Russia, the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, and the United States Marine Band. She has performed in Carnegie’s Zankel Hall with the Musical Olympus Festival, and has appeared on the radio on NPR’s series From the Top and Interlochen Public Radio’s Live From Studio A. In 2009 she was honored with a “Best of Philly” award from Philadelphia magazine. She has also won prizes in several international solo tuba competitions, and alumni awards from both Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan.
Ms. Jantsch is in increasing demand as a teacher worldwide, having given master classes in Europe, Asia, and North America. She enjoys working with young musicians, and has been a featured artist at various brass festivals in Finland, Germany, Canada, and the United States. She is on the faculty at the Yale University School of Music and Temple University’s Boyer College of Music. Raised in a musical family, Ms. Jantsch began piano lessons at age six and began studying euphonium at Interlochen Arts Camp at age nine. After switching to tuba, she attended the prestigious arts boarding high school Interlochen Arts Academy, graduating as salutatorian of her class. She continued her studies at the University of Michigan under the tutelage of Fritz Kaenzig. After winning her position with The Philadelphia Orchestra in February of 2006, she returned to Michigan to complete her Bachelor of Music degree, graduating with highest honors.
Ms. Jantsch can be heard on numerous Philadelphia Orchestra recordings, including the 2010 release of Ewald Quintets no. 1 and 3 with fellow Philadelphia Orchestra principal brass. She released her first solo recording, Cascades, in 2009. In 2013 she premiered Reflections on the Mississippi, a new tuba concerto written for her and the Temple University Symphony Orchestra by Grammy Award-winning composer Michael Daugherty. The recording of this work was recently released on the Temple University label, and in 2015 she performed the concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Michigan Symphony Band.
Carol is a Yamaha Performing Artist. She plays a Yamaha YFB-822 F tuba and a B&S Perantucci PT-6PS CC tuba.

Bel Canto Children's Chorus
of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem
Carnegie Hall, NYC April 12, 2016
Shaeffer Auditorium, Kutztown University
May 22, 2016
Founded in 1993 and comprising auditioned treble singers from five counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, the Bel Canto Children’s Chorus has developed an international reputation for performing diversified choral repertoire at the highest standard of musical excellence and style. Noted for the innovative, artistic programs it presents, the chorus has been invited to perform for numerous musical conferences. Tours have taken the chorus to Central Europe, Italy, Ireland, Canada, England Oregon, Brooklyn, DisneyWorld, and twice to Hawai’i and the Pacific Rim Children’s Choral Festival.
Under the direction of Dr. Joy Hirokawa, the chorus joined The Allentown in New York City at Carnegie Hall, April 12, 2016. Along with Patricia Risley, mezzo soprano (see her profile on this page), the chorus and band performed three movements from Johan de Meij’s Symphony No. 4 “Symphony of Songs”, conducted by the composer. This performance was reprised on Sunday May 15, 2016 at Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown, and Sunday May 22, 2016 at Schaeffer Auditorium, Kutztown University, again with Johan conducting.

Lauren Curnow, mezzo soprano
Lauren Curnow is a much in-demand artist with opera and stage credits too numerous to mention, including her recent debut as Amneris in Aida with the Opera San Luis Obispo. (Visit www.laurencurnow.com for a sampling!)
As a guest of the Allentown Band, Lauren has performed the Luigi Zananelli setting of Five Gospel Songs, and contemporary works such as George Gershwin’s They Can’t Take That Away from Me and Hoagy Carmichael’s Star Dust. Lauren has also performed with her brother Jeffrey under the baton of their father, William.

Jeffrey Curnow, trumpet
Jeffrey Curnow joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as associate principal trumpet in the fall of 2001, after serving as principal trumpet of the Dallas Symphony for six years.
Jeffrey has performed as guest soloist with the Allentown Band, performing such mainstays of the trumpet repertoire as the increasingly popular Arutunian Concerto for Trumpet, and joining forces with his sister, Lauren, in Steve Reisteter’s new arrangement of Handel’s Let the Bright Seraphim from “Samson”. The premier of that work was conducted by none other than their father, William, a trumpet player in the band.

Evelyn Stewart, soprano
Evelyn Stewart, soprano, is well known as a versatile singer. Among her credits are solo appearances with the Pennsylvania Sinfonia and other Lehigh Valley Orchestras, Opera North Company of Philadelphia, The Allentown Band and the Moravian College Orchestra. She is a concert artist, recitalist, and a professional soloist. Evelyn has sung internationally as a soloist in Moscow, Russia with the Moravian College Choir. While attending Moravian College, she was selected for Master Class participation with opera stars Denyce Graves and Samuel Ramey. Evelyn is a private vocal instructor.
Evelyn often appears with the Allentown Band on patriotic occasions such as Flag Day and many Independence Day programs, when she often thrills the crowds with Battle Hymn of the Republic and God Bless America.

Chet Brown, baritone
Chet Brown has been a part of the music scene his entire life. He has been a member of numerous bands, singing everything from jazz to popular music. He was signed by and recorded an album in 1978 with Polydor Records. Chet has spent his entire adult life performing and recording music. He works as a studio vocalist and voice‑over talent, and is a member of The James Gerard Orchestra, with whom he has performed at such events as Vice President Biden’s Inaugural Ball. Chet is currently a vocal instructor at the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Performing Arts. Chet performs locally with the Frank DiBussolo Group, and the Last Thursday Band.
Chet frequently joins the band on patriotic programs, singing popular tunes such as ‘S Wonderful and They Can’t Take That Away from Me. Chet and Evelyn together have performed a medley of songs from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess

Patricia Risley, mezzo soprano
Patricia Risley’s performances span many leading roles in the operas of Mozart and many others, with leading opera companies around the world.
The Allentown Band has been very honored to have Patricia as guest of the band, including her rendering of the Luigi Zananelli setting of Five Gospel Songs, and contemporary works such as George Gershwin’s They Can’t Take That Away from Me and Hoagy Carmichael’s Star Dust. Patricia performed with the band at Carnegie Hall, singing in Johan de Meij's Symphony No.4, and on so many other occasions.

Susan Boyer, soprano
Susan Slaymaker Boyer is a native of Pennsylvania, received her education at West Chester University and Temple University in music education and performance, and made her thirty-three year career as an innovative music teacher, children’s singing advocate and soprano soloist. Living in Pennsylvania with her husband of forty years, George, the two were active music makers in the Lehigh Valley for over three decades. Susan’s association with the Allentown Band goes back several decades and includes appearances in Luzerne, Switzerland, Ocean Grove, NJ, Allentown’s West Park and as soloist on several "Our Band Heritage" recordings.

Geoff Galante, trumpent, cornet, flugelhorn
Geoff Gallante, today one of the most celebrated young musicians in the world, has performed with The Allentown Band since a very young age. According to his web site, Geoff found his older brother’s trumpet at the age of 4. Since then, he’s performed on prominent stages alongside distinguished artists all across the country.
In the Lehigh Valley, Geoff has been a frequent guest of The Allentown Band, playing classical and popular pieces. In a recent concert at Waldheim Park, Geoff performed Lewis Buckley’s American Potrait, and joined Jason Ham, euphonium, in the virtuosic duet Cousins by Herbert L. Clarke.
More on Geoff at http://www.geoffgallante.com/