C O N D U C T O R / P E R F O R M E R / T E A C H E R / C L I N I C I A N
B E N J A M I N R O C H F O R D
B I O G R A P H Y
Benjamin Rochford joined the Ithaca College School of Music in 2016 where he serves as Interim Associate Director of Bands. His responsibilities at IC include conducting the Wind Symphony and Concert Band and teaching courses in Conducting and Trumpet Pedogogy. Rochford previously taught in the IC Music Education Department as a Visiting Assistant Professor. Prior to his appointment at Ithaca College, Rochford was a doctoral conducting associate at the University of Florida where his responsibilities included directing the concert band, assisting with the athletic bands, mentoring undergraduate conducting students, and teaching courses in music education and jazz improvisation. Mr. Rochford’s other duties at UF included writing program notes and promoting concerts for the band department and assisting Professor Scott Wilson with the UF Jazz Band.
Mr. Rochford completed a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and a Masters degree in Instrumental Conducting from Youngstown State University in Ohio in 2012. While at Youngstown State, Mr. Rochford was a graduate assistant with the YSU athletic bands and guest conducted the Wind Ensemble and Dana Chamber Winds. Mr. Rochford’s primary conducting influences include Dr. David Waybright, Dr. Stephen Gage, Dr. Adam Brennan, and Dr. Nathan Rinnert. Mr. Rochford has also participated in conducting symposiums with Ray Cramer, Tom Leslie, Robert Garafalo, and Ed Lisk and participated in Beethoven conducting master classes with Svilen Simeonov, director of the Sofia Sinfonietta in Bulgaria. He was a recent participant in a conducting presentation by Craig Kirchhoff at the South Eastern College Band Directors National Association conference in Charleston, SC.
Mr. Rochford served as Director of Bands at the Valley Grove School District in Pennsylvania from 2008-2012 where he was responsible for overseeing the entire 5-12 band program. At Valley Grove, Mr. Rochford directed the district’s athletic bands, jazz combo, and elementary, middle, and high school bands. He hosted and managed the PMEA District III Jazz Festival in 2012. He has also given presentations in Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida on a variety of topics including jazz improvisation, rehearsal techniques, student motivation and authentic student self assessment within the paradigm of Harvard Project Zero and Arts PROPEL.
Mr. Rochford is an active trumpet player throughout central Florida and has performed with the Erie
Philharmonic, Venango Chamber Orchestra, Mansfield University Faculty Brass Quinet, Franklin Silver Cornet Band, various jazz ensembles, and is currently a member of the Unversity of Florida Wind
Symphony, Jazz Band, and Jazz Grad Combo. Mr. Rochford has toured across the United States with wind bands and jazz ensembles and most recently, throughout Italy with The American Chamber Winds. As a jazz performer, Rochford has performed with a number of notable jazz musicians including Wycliffe Gordon, Dennis DiBlasio, George Rabbai, Michael Davis, Dave Pietro, Ingrid Jensen, Ryan Kisor, Jeff Calindo, Chris Vidala, and Ernie Krivda. Mr. Rochford’s primary trumpet teachers include Dr. Michael Galloway, Dr. Chris Krummel, Rodger Blackburn, and Scott Wilson. He can be heard as a performer on the wind band albums North Central Winds, Concord, and Resonance under the Mark Custom label and the jazz albums Hourglass and La Fiesta. He earned an assistant producer credit for his work on the album Masks and Machines, to be released in 2017.
Mr. Rochford’s professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, National Education Association, New York State School Music Association, Pennsylvania Music Education Association, Florida Music Education Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, Jazz Education Network, and the International Trumpet Guild. He was recently elected into the Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society.