Richard B. Goss received his Bachelors Degree in music education and Master’s Degree in trumpet performance from Arkansas State University. Mr. Goss has completed additional studies at Tanglewood, Interlochen and at the University at Buffalo. He taught at Holland Central Schools for five years, and his Holland High School Concert Band was selected to perform at the 1993 Eastern Division Conference of NAfME. Mr. Goss is currently in his twenty-seventh year at Lancaster High School where he conducts the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, and leads the 2011 & 2013 NYSFBC LS2 Division State Champion Marching Legends. His bands have received numerous Gold and Gold with Distinction awards at NYSSMA Major Organization Festivals. He established a prestigious Guest Artist Series to bring talented professional musicians and conductors to lecture and perform with the LHS Bands.
The LHS Symphonic Band, under his direction, has presented concert/clinics (1999, 2006, 2020) at the New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA) Symposium in Syracuse, NY. In 2004, The LHS Symphonic Band was selected to perform at the 69th Annual NYSSMA Winter Conference in Rochester, NY. In 2018, The LHS Symphonic Band was also selected to perform at the Association of Concert Bands (ACB) 40th Annual Convention, held in Buffalo, NY.
Mr. Goss has been music director for the Lancaster Town Band since 1997 and played a key role in the construction of the Richard E. Pascucci Memorial Band Shell, a facility dedicated in 2010. He served as Chairman of the Lancaster Central Schools Music Department from 2000-2011. Under his leadership, Lancaster was twice named (2001, 2011) as one of the 'Top Communities in America for Music Education’ by the National Association of Music Merchants. In 2001, Lancaster High School was named a Grammy Signature School. Mr. Goss currently serves as the Region 1 Representative for NYSBDA.
Mr. Goss performs with the Niagara Frontier Brass, Easy Street Big Band, and is a past president of the Erie County Wind Ensemble. He has studied trumpet with Richard Jorgensen and David Kuehn, and composition with Jared Spears. In 2007, Richard was selected to receive the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/ECMEA Award for Excellence in Music Education. In 2020, Richard was named favorite jazz trumpeter in the 6th Annual JazzBuffalo Poll. He resides in Lancaster with his wife Margaret, and three children, Elizabeth, Michael, and Amanda.