Conductors
Mark Kellogg, Conductor
In January 2025, Mark Kellogg assumed the new, exciting position as conductor of the Perinton Concert Band. Throughout this ensemble’s 47-year history, the PCB has distinguished itself as one of the northeastern United States most highly-regarded community bands, faithfully enriching the cultural life of the Rochester area and providing its members with the opportunity to perform a wide variety of wind ensemble and band repertoire.
In addition to his duties with the PCB, Mr. Kellogg serves as a faculty member at the Eastman School of Music, where he holds the positions of Professor of Trombone, conductor of the Eastman Brass Guild and co-conductor of the Eastman Trombone Choir. An Eastman faculty member since 1991, he also serves as Chair of the school’s Wind, Brass and Percussion Department and as Director of Faculty Development, a mentoring program for all new faculty at the school.
Mr. Kellogg performed for 28 years as a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He occupied the Austin Hildebrandt Principal Trombone position and appeared as subscription soloist with the RPO on many occasions, performing the concerti of Tomasi, Albrechtsberger , Larsson, Shilkret and Jeff Tyzik, works by Elliott Carter and Fred Sturm and numerous jazz and euphonium solos on the orchestra’s Pops series. Prior to his appointment in the RPO, Mr. Kellogg performed as a member of he San Francisco Symphony and the National Repertory Orchestra. In recent seasons, he has played with the Oregon Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, the Charleston Symphony, the Naples Philharmonic and the Syracuse Orchestra.
Mr. Kellogg has enjoyed a long association with The Eastman Wind Ensemble, performing on three albums with the group (Carnaval, Quiet City and Live from Osaka) and appearing as soloist in the Eastman Theatre and on tours to Japan and Carnegie Hall with Donald Hunsberger and Mark Davis Scatterday. He has also performed as a soloist with the Hartford Symphony, the US Army Orchestra, the Youngstown Symphony, the Penfield Symphony, the Hamilton New Music Ensemble, Brazil’s Orquestra SInfonica do Theatro da Paz and Argentina’s Camerata Eleuthera Chamber Orchestra.
Active as a jazz and chamber musician throughout his career, Mr. Kellogg was a founding member of the brass and percussion ensemble Rhythm and Brass, touring the United States and Japan and making four recordings during his two years in the group. He has also performed with Clark Terry, Chris Vadala, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Daniels and Mel Tormé. Jazz and commercial recordings include collaborations with Jeff Tyzik, Gene Bertoncini, Allen Vizzutti, Steve Gadd, Gap Mangione and as a member of the Dave Rivello Ensemble. His jazz recording with Eastman School faculty colleague pianist Tony Caramia, Upstate Standards, celebrates the music of upstate New York composers Harold Arlen, Jimmy Van Heusen and Alec Wilder. Mr. Kellogg’s most recent recording, Impressions, is a collection of French music for trombone and piano, featuring pianists Joseph Werner and Christopher Azzara. Since 2016, he has performed extensively with pianist Priscilla Yuen across the United States and South America.
A Conn Trombone performing artist, Mr. Kellogg has made appearances at numerous festivals and low brass symposia including the International Trombone Festival, the American Trombone Workshop, the Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival, the Asian Pacific Music Educators’ Conference, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra’s International Youth Orchestra Institute , the New World Symphony and the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. He has also presented master classes and conducted wind and brass ensembles in Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, China, England, Denmark and Germany.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Eastman Summer Trombone Institute, a week-long workshop he directs for high school, college, young professional and adult amateur trombonists. He also served as co-host of the International Trombone Festival, held at the Eastman School in 2014.
Mark and his wife, Meghan, a professional pianist, organist, singer and choral conductor, live in Brighton with their three cats.
Tiffany DiPiazza, Assistant Conductor
Tiffany DiPiazza is a music educator in the Webster Central School District where she teaches middle school instrumental and general music. Ms. DiPiazza also maintains a private studio. Ms. DiPiazza is co-director of the Willink Student-Parent Band, a unique ensemble that brings students and their families together in performance. She is an active member of the New York State School Music Association and Monroe County School Music Association, where she serves on the board.
Ms. DiPiazza holds degrees in Music Education and Performance from the State University of New York at Fredonia. She has played principal oboe with the Perinton Concert Band since 2007. An active performer, Ms. DiPiazza is a member of the Eastman Community Music School Music Educators Wind Ensemble, Flower City Society Orchestra, and Greece Concert Band which she recently guest conducted. Ms. DiPiazza performed two summer tours with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra and is a sought-after freelance musician on oboe and English horn.
Chuck Van Buren, Retired Conductor
1988 - 2024
Mr. Van Buren has a Bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, and a Master’s degree in music education from the Eastman School of Music. He spent thirty-three years as a music educator and is retired from his position as a band director at Penfield High School in Penfield, New York. He is currently a supervisor of student teachers for SUNY Fredonia. He is an All-State adjudicator for the New York State School Music Association and serves as a freelance adjudicator/clinician throughout New York State and Canada.
As a professional musician, Mr. Van Buren performs in various commercial, jazz, and classical settings. He has performed on saxophone as a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chautauqua Symphony, the Gap Mangione Big Band, and for twenty-two years played first clarinet in the Greater Rochester Music Educators Wind Band under the direction of Al “Corky” Fabrizio. He has performed with many nationally known groups and entertainers including Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, The Temptations, Jerry Lewis, Rodney Dangerfield, Kenny Rogers, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé.
He is a member of the New York State School Music Association, the National Association for Music Education and the Association of Concert Bands. He is a founding member of the New York State Band Directors Association, and is the first recipient of NYSBDA’s Outstanding Band Director Award. He has also served as President of both the Ontario and Monroe County New York School Music Associations.