Band Bios
Brian Priebe
Brian Priebe, co-owner and Music Director, has been a member of The Edelweiss Band since 1999, playing the baritone, trombone, and Alpenhorn and singing the lyrics 'auf Deutsch.'
Brian has been a fan of German / Austrian / Swiss music since his youth when his father brought home a record of Tyrolean traditional favorites from Europe. Years later, he became an original member of the popular Alpine Band, Salzberger Echo, in Salt Lake City where he learned to play the Swiss Alphorn.
In 2007, Brian competed in the International Alphorn Competition at Nendaz, Switzerland, where he won 2nd prize in the Solo Division. He repeated the feat in 2010, placing 2nd in the duet category. Brian is on the faculty of the North American Alphorn Retreat held each summer at the Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah.
Brian earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree in 1984 and a Master of Music in Trombone Performance in 1991 from the University of Utah. He works as a freelance trombonist and choral music director in the Washington, DC area.
Rob White
Rob White, co-owner, Leader, and tuba player for The Edelweiss Band, was invited to join the band in 2015. He also plays the baritone and Alphorn, and provides lead and background vocals.
Rob was introduced to music through church and by his father's love for classical music. He began his musical studies by playing trumpet in elementary school, but switched to baritone and tuba in high school. Rob majored in music at college, and earned a BS in Music Education at Lebanon Valley College (PA).
After graduation, Rob taught instrumental music in the Howard Co Public Schools (MD), but continued to perform on tuba with an interest in Traditional New Orleans Jazz. After several years, he added tenor banjo to his 'toolbox.' Rob has played with multiple groups in the Washington / Baltimore area, primarily with The Gangplank Ragtime Band at the Phillips Seafood Restaurants for over 20 years. In recent years, Rob has been a free lance musician and performs as a member of The Good Timers who specialize in entertainment for retirement communities in the Baltimore area.
Jon Mathis
Jon Mathis has been playing with The Edelweiss Band since 2017. Jon's primary instrument is the trumpet; however, he has incorporated both the tenor sax and clarinet into his playing, giving The Edelweiss Band a variety of timbres and textures.
Jon was raised in New Jersey and graduated from The Peabody Conservatory in 1981. He has played extra trumpet with the Baltimore Symphony, performed with the Gene Donati and Zim Zemarel big bands, and has been a member of the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble, Mount Vernon Brass players and the Brooks Tegler Big Band.
Currently, Jon retired from teaching general music at the School of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore; however, he now teaches band there part-time.
Brett Lemley
Brett Lemley has been playing trumpet regularly with The Edelweiss Band since 2018, and been playing professionally for 35 years, in every style of music.
Brett earned his degrees in Music Education from George Mason University (VA) and Jazz Studies from the University of Maryland. He has performed and recorded with a wide variety of groups over the years, including performances overseas.
Brett currently performs with many groups, including Blue Sky 5 and the Craig Gildner Big Band, and is currently Principal Trumpet for the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic.
In addition to performing, Brett has a full studio of young trumpet and trombone students. He encourages them to find the kind of music they like to play, while preparing them to be able to play in any situation.
Zack Smith
Zack Smith is a professional trumpet player with a Bachelors Degree in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas (’86), and has played with The Edelweiss Band since 2023.
Zach is a founding member of the Dixie Power Trio (now named “Zachary Smith & the Mardi Gras Kings”) and the Beltway Brass Quintet, and has spent many years working with local high school jazz ensembles in the Washington, D.C. area including James Madison H.S and Mountain View H.S. He has performed with many notable artists including Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Stanley Turrentine, Vince DiMartino, Chubby Carrier, The Marvelettes, the Four Tops and the O-Jays. Also an active studio musician, Zack has played on more than 50 studio albums including eight with the DPT, four with the Beltway Brass, and numerous reggae albums for producer Georges Kouakou. Zack is also known worldwide for his brass and big band arrangements and has written a method book called “Jazz Essentials” which teaches young musicians how to interpret swing music. His award-winning arrangements have been published by Barnhouse Music, Alfred Music, and are available at www.trumpetunes.com.
Laura Maxfield
Laura Maxfield has been playing accordion with The Edelweiss Band since 2019.
Laura came from a family of musicians and began playing piano and singing in early childhood. During her teenage years, she played in local rock bands. Laura attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. She went on to graduate from George Mason University (VA) with a BA in Music.
Accordion was a love discovered later in life. Laura is now retired after 30 years from her primary work as a private music instructor, and is currently enjoying her time performing with The Edelweiss Band.
Mike Rubin
Mike Rubin has played accordion with The Edelweiss Band since 2018.
Mike studied piano starting at age 7 at the Manhattan School of Music, clarinet at 9 at the Bronx House School of Music (BHSM), and oboe at 13 at BHMS, all on full scholarship. He was one of the 5% of students accepted by the world-famous New York City High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and graduated at age 16 in the top 1% of his class with honors in music.
Mike taught himself to play the accordion starting at age 9. He performed throughout the New York metropolitan area with the United Jewish Appeal entertainment group. He moved to the DC Area in 1985 and in 1987 joined the Accordion Plus Band in Virginia, with which he performed for 10 years.
Mike has performed on accordion in bands, orchestras, in numerous community theater productions, and at embassies and universities in the DC metropolitan area. In 2017, he performed solo for the European Union at their headquarters in Washington, DC and on ABC-TV in DC for Bastille Day.
In addition to performing, Mike teaches accordion and piano to students ranging from 9 to 88 years-old.
Peter DiGiovanni
Peter DiGiovanni has been playing with The Edelweiss Band since 2023. Originally from New York, Peter lives in Oakton, Virginia with his wife and greatest supporter, Sally. After earning his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he joined Mobil Oil Corporation in 1968 for a satisfying 32-year career In 1998, he became a licensed Realtor in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is currently a sales agent with Long & Foster Realtors, Inc.
After demonstrating above-average musical aptitude as a young child and an attraction to the piano, he received two years of piano lessons. However, his current play-by-ear skills have been self-taught. His involvement in music was limited during his college days and subsequent career but accelerated rapidly since his retirement from Mobil in 2000, at which time he started playing the accordion.
Peter is presently affiliated with the George Mason University Friends of Music (Board member), the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society (President), the American Accordionists Association, the Accordionists and Teachers Guild and The Edelweiss Band. He performs solo and with singers and small ensembles, at parties and celebrations, weddings, grand openings, public and private concerts, fundraisers, and music clubs and festivals. He and his duet partner, Halina Banas-Jones, perform as the Tuneful Twosome.
Peter has several original compositions to his credit, three of which have won awards. He can play hundreds of songs by ear, covering music for all seasons and a wide range of genres, and is equally comfortable sitting or strolling, playing solo or accompanying singers, playing "Name That Tune," or jamming with other musicians.
Peter also enjoys bowling, bridge, puzzles, and investing.
JohnO'Brien
John O’Brien has been playing tenor banjo and guitar with The Edelweiss Band since 2022. Born and raised in Chicago, John graduated from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. After two-years of touring with the show group Mariah, John served six years with the United States Air Force Band at Chanute AFB, Illinois. A versatile instrumentalist, John has shared the stage with stars ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Crystal Gayle.
Since moving to the DC area, John has played with the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble, the Bob Gibson Big Band, and is currently a member of Orleans Express, a local “trad-jazz” band playing the music of Louis Armstrong and other New Orleans greats. John is an active area freelance musician on guitar, banjo, and mandolin.
Band Bios continued
Gary Carper
Gary Carper has been playing tuba on a regular basis with The Edelweiss Band since 2011.
Gary grew up in Fairfax Co. (VA) and began playing tuba in school. After attending Shenandoah Conservatory (VA), Gary transferred to North Texas State (the University of North Texas) where he became the first tuba player to earn a BM in Jazz Studies / Performance.
Gary began playing polkas at Busch Gardens Williamsburg at Das Festhaus in 1976 and has since been a freelance musician. He has performed in 39 states and Europe. Career highlights include: founding member of The Dallas Brass, artist in residence at Southern Methodist University (TX), and a clinician for Yamaha Band Instrument Corp. Gary has been a finalist in national and international Jazz Improvisation competitions and toured with ensembles including Rodeo Bands and Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians.
Gary is an Adjunct Instructor of Low Brass at University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. He plays tuba with The Fredericksburg Symphony Orchestra, trombone with The Fredericksburg Big Band, and performs with numerous other groups on tuba and trombone.
Willie Clark
Willie Clark has been playing tuba with The Edelweiss Band since 2019.
Willie recently retired as a member of the United States Air Force “Ceremonial Brass” in Washington, D.C., and was a founding member of the Barclay Brass and professional Disney tuba quartet, “The Tubafours.”
As a performer, Willie has toured the United States, South America, Australia, China, Japan and eighteen countries in Europe. During these travels, he performed with the China National Symphony, the Empire Brass for the Campos do Jordao Winter Music Festival and USA Tour, American Wind Symphony Orchestra, Sam Rivers’ RivBea Orchestra and Keith Brion’s New Sousa Band. He has also served as a low brass clinician on the European Tour with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra. You can hear him on the Tuba 4’s CD, “Under the Boardwalk.” He has also recorded with John Williams and the Boston Bops Brass Section, the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, the United States Air Force Band, Alfred Publishing, Warner Brothers and Electronic Arts.
Willie teaches at Howard University as well as a lecturer of tuba at the University of Maryland School of Music where he teaches applied tuba lessons, coaches brass chamber groups and serves as the director of the UMD Brass Ensemble.
Jared Denhard
Jared Denhard started playing with The Edelweiss Band in 2020, performing on the tuba, trombone, and Alphorn.
Jared is a multi-instrumentalist and a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University where he studied musical performance. Currently a member of the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble, the Lexington Brass, Big J's Creole Jazz and the old-time chamber ensemble, Possum Soufflé.
Jared enjoys playing a wide range of musical styles with a diverse group of people!
Mike Flaherty
Mike Flaherty has played drums for The Edelweiss Band since 2019 and became the full-time drummer in 2022. He was introduced to music by his father who played jazz piano and several other instruments.
Mike continued his interest in music in school and studied music at the University of Central Florida, as well as George Mason University (VA) and Mesa Community College (AZ). Mike enjoyed a long military career, including over twenty years as a drummer with the famed Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, before retiring from the Army in 2003.
In 1993, Mike founded Dixieland Direct, a combo that performs at jazz clubs and for private events in the Washington, DC Metro area. Dixieland Direct won the 2010 French Quarter Jazz Festival Battle of the Bands in New Orleans, LA.
Mike is a member of the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble, Kaleidoscope Jazz Orchestra, and Swing Shift Big Band, along with being a freelance musician.
In addition to his music interests, Mike holds a Masters degree in Special Education from George Washington University and currently works for the U.S. Marine Corps as the Exceptional Family Member Program Manager.
JEFF GILLIAM
Jeff Gilliam, drummer/percussionist, has performed with The Edelweiss Band since 2022.
Jeff is currently a member of the Cathedral Brass, a brass/percussion ensemble based in Vienna, VA, the CraftWorx big band, performing every Monday night in Gainesville, VA, and the praise band at Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Sterling, VA.
He was a member of the U.S Marine Band from which he retired in 1997, changing careers at that time to become a computer professional where he performed various jobs in the computer/software field in the Washington DC, area. He retired from that endeavor in 2019 and now spends his time volunteering with several organizations, teaching percussion, and performing as a percussionist.
Mark Carson
Mark has been playing drums with The Edelweiss Band since 2020.
He is currently an active freelance performer in the Washington, DC area specializing in musical theater, classical, and commercial performance. Mark was previously a percussionist with the United States Air Force Band, Washington, DC. He has performed with the National Symphony, Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Washington National Opera, National Gallery Orchestra, Baltimore Opera Company, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and New York City Ballet.
An active freelance performer in all styles, Mark has also played with Brian Stokes Mitchell, The Who, Diane Schur, Kenny Rankin, Chaka Kahn, Clay Aiken, The Gatlin Brothers and recorded soundtracks for Disney, National Geographic, HBO, Discovery Channel, Naxos, National Public Radio, Learning Channel and the Fox network. Musical Theater performances at Ford’s Theater, Arena Stage, Studio Theater, Signature Theater, Olney Theater, Imagination Stage, Adventure Theater and The Atlas Theater. As an educational artist for Sabian Cymbals, Pearl Drums/Adams Percussion, Blackswamp Percussion and Vic Firth drumsticks, he presents clinics at all levels.
Mark also actively commissions new works involving percussion and various instruments and has given world premier performances of more than a dozen works.
