Staff
Jake taniguchi - rpo assistant conductor & rpyo music director
Jake Taniguchi is the newly appointed Assistant Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (RPYO). In the 2026–27 season, he will lead numerous programs with both ensembles, including community, family, and education concerts, and will take the RPYO on an international tour to Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague.
Taniguchi has served on the conducting faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music, principal conductor of the Hawaiʻi Chamber Music Festival (HCMF), and assistant and cover conductor for the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, the Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra, and the Indiana University Ballet and Opera Theater.
Equally at home on the concert stage and in the pit, he has conducted IU Opera and Ballet Theater productions of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and Jonathan Dove's Mansfield Park, and assisted on IU's co-production with the Metropolitan Opera of Mason Bates' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, the work's world premiere.
He has collaborated with distinguished conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Dane Lam, Mei-Ann Chen, Jeffery Kahane, and Anthony Parnther, as well as soloists such as violinists Jaime Laredo, Jessica Lee, and Stefan Jackiw; pianists Michelle Cann, Joyce Yang, and David Kaplan; and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung. A fervent advocate for new music, he has fostered artistic partnerships with composers Marcos Balter, Sebastian Currier, Billy Childs, Keith Fitch, Christopher Cerrone, and Joan Tower, among others.
Devoted to nurturing a lifelong enthusiasm for music, Taniguchi has worked with numerous schools, youth organizations, and educational programs, including the Masaki School of Music, Kamehameha Schools, Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts, Oshkosh Youth Symphony Orchestra, and HCMF's Young Artist Program.
Taniguchi holds degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. His conducting mentors include Arthur Fagen, Jeffery Meyer, Thomas Wilkins, Victor Yampolsky, and JoAnn Falletta.
Ashlee allaire - youth orchestra and education projects manager
Ashlee Allaire is an arts administrator, percussionist, and educator based in Rochester, NY. She serves as the Youth Orchestra & Education Projects Manager at the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), where she oversees the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (RPYO) and helps lead a wide range of Education and Community Engagement initiatives throughout the Greater Rochester area.
In her role with the RPYO, Ms. Allaire manages all aspects of the program’s operations and artistic planning, including auditions, rehearsals, performances, touring logistics, and student engagement initiatives. Under her leadership, the RPYO has expanded its visibility through national recognition opportunities and international touring experiences, providing students with meaningful artistic and cultural experiences beyond the concert stage.
In addition to her work at the RPO, Ashlee maintains an active private teaching studio at The Roberts Community Music School and The Hochstein School. She enjoys helping students build strong fundamentals, develop their musical voice, and explore the wide range of instruments and styles that percussion offers. Ashlee brings nearly a decade of teaching experience, having worked with students of all ages in school programs, youth ensembles, and summer music camps.
Ashlee is also a founding member of Call Street Percussion Quartet, an ensemble dedicated to expanding the reach of percussion chamber music through innovative performances and collaborative commissions. She holds a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Percussion Performance, with a minor in Education, from Florida State University. Originally from the Tampa Bay area, she loves spending time outdoors hiking and rock climbing, and at home with her cat, Ms. Molly.
Dr. Chisato eda marling - Interim Vice President of Education/Director of Education and Community Partnerships
Dr. Chisato Eda Marling joined the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in February 2022 and currently serves as Interim Vice President of Education and Director of Education & Community Partnerships.
In her role, she leads the management and implementation of all RPO educational concerts and initiatives, overseeing a comprehensive portfolio of community engagement programs, including the Care & Wellness Initiative, Around the Town Concerts, summer park performances, and strategic partnerships throughout the Greater Rochester community. She also spearheads the continued development and expansion of OPUS (Orchestra Program for Urban Students), ensuring its long-term sustainability and impact.
Dr. Marling began studying piano at age three and saxophone at age eight. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance from Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Japan; a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance from the University of Minnesota; and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where she also completed a minor in Musician’s Wellness and earned an Arts Leadership Certificate. An active performer, she is a founding member of the Vertex Saxophone Quartet and is a Vandoren Performing Artist.