Randall Riffle – Clarinet

After graduating from Grove City High School in 1980, Randall Riffle began his formal music instruction as a scholarship student at the Ohio State University where he received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in clarinet performance. While working on his undergraduate degree at OSU he began teaching clarinet and saxophone at Brookpark and Park Street Middle Schools in Grove City, Ohio. Soon after that he was appointed principal clarinet of the Central Ohio Symphony in Delaware, Ohio.

Randall relocated to the Washington, DC area when he won a position with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in 1988. The primary mission of the US Marine Band is musical support for the White House, the State Department and missions as directed by the Commandant of the USMC. During his tenure with the USMB he provided support for 7 inaugurations and 17 national concert tours and participated in numerous arrivals for the Pentagon, State Department and White House as well as concerts in Washington, DC and funerals at Arlington Cemetery. He also had the opportunity to appear as a featured soloist with the band on several occasions. While in the Marine Band he worked often in educational outreach by teaching masterclasses and performing with Music in the Schools. After 25 years of service, MSgt. Riffle retired from the Marine band in 2013.

In 1989 he began teaching music at Landon, a private school in Bethesda, Maryland. He serves as principal clarinet with the Landon Symphonette, an orchestra dedicated to providing opportunities for talented high school and college musicians to experience music in a setting alongside professional musicians. In 2015 he started coaching ensembles at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and assisting the director of the university’s wind ensemble. In 2016 he joined the faculty as a part time professor of clarinet. Through the years, Riffle has been actively involved with church music—a tradition that continues to this day. Currently he serves as a music director of Heritage Community Church in Severn, Maryland.

     Back to Personnel