Brass Section

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Trumpet & Flugel Horn

Wayne studied Trumpet with Dr Donald S. Reinhardt and Robert Negal. He has performed at Madison Square Garden and the Iridium Jazz Club, both in New York City, as well as at the Towne Crier in Beacon, NY and Daryl’s House, in Pawling, NY. Wayne was a member of the 42nd ID Band and was deployed during OIF III atFOB Danger. 

Trumpet & Flugel Horn

Chris has a Bachelor of Music Education degree from SUNY Potsdam and a Master’s degree in trumpet performance from SUNY Purchase and has recently retired from a 30-year instrumental music teaching career in New York State. Throughout his public school teaching career, Mr. Melito has guest conducted many all-county band festivals in Ulster, Orange, Westchester and Herkimer counties. As a freelance trumpet player, Chris Melito has performed with The Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Woodstock, Ridgefield and Waterbury Symphonies as well as the Bard College Conductor’s Institute Orchestra and the Gotham Brass Quintet. His commercial freelance experience has included working with Disney-On-Ice, Lou Rawls, Robert Goulet, Manhattan Transfer, Jerry Vale and Ray Charles. More currently, Chris Melito is a regular member with Alpine Squeeze and leads several groups including a brass quintet, a jazz quartet and a Dixieland quartet.

Trumpet

Mike holds a Master's degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of Texas. He is a 22-year veteran of the United States Air Force and Army Bands. Mike is an active freelance jazz and classical trumpet player in the greater New York area.

Trumpet & Flugel Horn

Alan holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and was an educator in the Yonkers School System for 30 years. He is also a former member of Westchester Symphonic Winds, The Greg Westoff Big Band, and Virgil Scott's Big Band. Alan also played and recorded with Bobby Lavell's Hudson River Jazz Orchestra and is a long-time member of the Bronxville Pops. Alan has performed in many local big bands for decades.

Tenor & Bass Trombone

Ben is a jazz trombonist who believes music speaks when words cannot. To him, jazz connects people across cultures, generations, and experiences. Whether performing or mentoring younger musicians, he values kindness, patience, and helping others find their own voice. Ben is a jazz studies major at The Hartt School of Music. 

Trombone

Trombonist Julius Gorog earned his Master’s in Music degree the Kosice Conservatory in Slovakia. He performed in the National Theatre Kosice, in the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, and in the Military Art Ensemble of Bratislava.  

Trombone

Andy studied trombone with leading players in New York and Boston, launching a career that took him to symphonic and opera orchestras across Europe. He has toured extensively across North America with major Broadway shows and remains a devoted advocate for music education, having served on the board of the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra. He brings decades of professional versatility to the band’s sound.

Bass Trombone

Kyle McConnell is a freelance trombonist, based in the Hudson Valley and proficient across several genres. He plays in big bands, jazz ensembles, musical theater, chamber ensembles and orchestras. Kyle is the principal trombone of the Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra and the second trombone of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra. 

Tenor Trombone

Trombonist Howard A. Levy is a graduate of both Manhattan School of Music and Lehman College. He is a veteran freelance musician in the NY tri-state area. Howard has performed with the American Jazz Orchestra at Cooper Union, the Larry Elgart Orchestra, the Stan Rubin Orchestra, the Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra, the Treasure House Chamber Orchestra, the Yonkers Philharmonic, the Concord Hotel Orchestra, various big bands, Latin bands, wedding bands and chamber groups. He has also toured with the Broadway shows Makin’ Whoopie, and Chicago. 

Trombone & Bass Trombone

A native of the Washington, DC area, Rob currently resides in Yonkers, NY, and performs and teaches throughout the tri-state area. His experiences include a stint with the 81st US Army Band, and a national tour with “In The Mood”, a 1940s musical review. Locally, he has performed with the Yonkers Philharmonic, the Westchester Broadway Theater, the Bensen/Scott Orchestra, the Westchester Swing Band, the Virgil Scott Orchestra, and the Monarch Brass Quintet. Rob has degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland, and has studied with Brian Bowman (US Air Force Band) and Abe Torchinsky (Philadelphia Orchestra).

Trombone

Steve is a freelance trombonist in the Mahopac School District, in the Hudson Valley. He currently performs with the Private Stock Big Band, SSJO Big Band, Uncle Shoehorns Big Easy, as well as the Hudson Valley Wind ensemble. Steve is also the elementary school band director.