ROBERT POULIOT: CFBA Music Director & Conductor of City of Fairfax Band
Robert Pouliot has conducted instrumental and choral groups, musical theater, and jazz bands from the East Coast to the Midwest. Since his appointment as Music Director in 1994, Mr. Pouliot has released three compact discs with the band, secured appearances of world-renowned guest artists, and instituted the band’s annual Young Artists Competition, which to date has awarded $22,000 in scholarships to Northern Virginia musicians. Under his leadership, the City of Fairfax Band was invited to perform for the national convention of the National Band Association in 1996, and in 2002, hosted the Association of Concert Bands annual national convention.
A Rhode Island native, Mr. Pouliot received his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees from the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he studied conducting with Larry Rachleff, Gene Young, and Jerome Laszloffy. In 1984, he founded Connecticut’s Northeast Chamber Ensemble, a group dedicated to performing works written for chamber winds and small orchestral ensembles. Accepting a commission in the U.S. Air Force in 1986, he served as a band officer and spent the next seven years conducting Air Force concert and jazz bands on community and international relations tours in 15 states and in Central and South America. His time in the Air Force included a nationally televised performance on ABC’s Good Morning America celebrating the Fourth of July, and performances honoring former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. His military decorations include the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Mr. Pouliot is a member of the National Band Association and the College Band Directors National Association. He is a recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence for his contributions to concert band music in America. In 2015, Mr. Pouliot was recognized with the “John Mason Arts Achievement Award” which recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the development of the arts (dance, music, theatre, literature, visual arts or other art disciplines within the City of Fairfax Community.
RICK PARRELL: Associate Conductor, City Band; Leader, Fairfax Swing Band
Rick Parrell is an active performer and teacher of jazz and classical music. After graduating from the Fairfax County school system, he attended George Mason University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees. Mr. Parrell earned his Master of Music Education degree from North Texas State University. After teaching at NTSU for a year, he returned to the Washington, D.C. area to perform in The U.S. Army Band (“Pershing’s Own”). In addition to his service as principal saxophonist in the Army Band, Mr. Parrell freelances in various jazz groups in the Washington, D.C. area and has performed with such notable jazz artists as Lee Konitz, Gary Foster, and Louis Bellson. He is a member of the Washington Saxophone Quartet, a member of the trumpet section in the City of Fairfax Band, and the director of the Fairfax Swing Band. Since 1982, Mr. Parrell has been on the Applied Music Faculty of George Mason University. Rick Parrell who was honored by the George Mason University Alumni Association by naming him winner of the “Thomas W. Iszard III Distinguished Alumni Award.”
GEOFFREY SEFFENS: Conductor, Main Street Community Band
A native of the City of Fairfax, Jeff Seffens graduated from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1975 and became an instrumental music teacher with Fairfax County Public Schools. After four years teaching band at the elementary level, he transferred to Sidney Lanier Middle School (now Katherine Johnson Middle School), where he spent the next 28 years until his retirement in 2007.
In 1988 he was included in the 13th edition of the International Biographical Center’s Men of Achievement and in 1999 was honored by the Rotary Club of Fairfax as the “Outstanding Teacher of the Year.” In 2005, Mr. Seffens was selected by The City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts to receive the John Mason Arts Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the arts.
As a trumpeter, Mr. Seffens has played with the City of Fairfax Band, the National Concert Band of America, the GTEV “Alpenveilchen” German Band, and the Tom Cunningham Orchestra. He was also the music director and conductor of the Vienna Community Band from 1975 until 1981. His professional affiliations have included membership in the Music Educators National Conference, the Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity, the American School Band Masters Association, and the Association of Concert Bands. Mr. Seffens was also an active member of the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts from 2008 until the end of 2021.
RICH KLEINFELDT: Concert Host, City of Fairfax Band
Rich Kleinfeldt enjoys a multifaceted carer in music. In addition to serving as a master of ceremonies for the City of Fairfax Band, he is a teacher, international broadcaster, professional musician, and lecturer. He co-hosts two nationally syndicated radio programs: Wolf Trap’s chamber music series, Center Stage from Wolf Trap, and Indianapolis-on-the-Air, featuring the Indianapolis Symhpony Orchestra. Formerly with the Voice of America as a classical music host, Mr. Kleinfeldt is currently heard around the world on the Maestro Channel of the WorldSpace Satellite Radio network. For twelve years he served as saxophone soloist and master of ceremonies with the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” in Washington, DC. Mr. Kleinfeldt is a founding member of the Washington Saxophone Quartet, which records on the Americus label, and is currently an adjunct faculty member at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, VA, and at Catholic University in Washington, DC.