Wayne Ligas is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. Wayne graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Music Education, and has done graduate work in conducting at Trenton State College. For over 30 years, he was a band director of elementary through high school.  Wayne has performed with the Keystone Winds, Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble, Williamsburg Players. Prior to his appointment as our Music Director he has been Peninsula Concert Band's principal clarinet and associate conductor.

Melvin Lauf Jr. serves as the Peninsula Concert Band’s Assistant Music Director and Associate Conductor. An Ohio native, Mel is a retired Army musician graduating from the Armed Forces School of Music (now the Army School of Music). His first assignment was with the 113 th Army Band, “Dragoons”, at Fort Knox. The remainder of his Army career was spent as a fife instrumentalist with the “Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps” at Ft. Myer, VA. He currently plays piccolo and harp with the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble and harp with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic and as a sub with the Virginia Symphony. Mel teaches flute, trumpet, and harp at Old Dominion University (Community Music Division). He resides in Newport News, VA where he has composed for flute and flute ensembles among others. Mel’s works for the flute and flute ensemble are published by his companies, Nourse Wind Publications and FLUTE.NET Publications.

Laura Cathcart is originally from Johnstown, N.Y. and graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Music in Music and Education. After college, she was an Army musician for over 23 years, retiring as a First Sergeant. Since retirement, she became a Licensed Veterinary Technician, and has been a professional Band Instrument Repair Technician. She frequently performs with several musical groups in the Tidewater area, and resides in Hampton, VA.

George Pond was a long time member and conductor of the Peninsula Concert Band. He passed away on July 20, 2021. On December 7, 2022 he was named Conductor Emeritus of the Peninsula Concert Band in a presentation to his wife Diane.

A native of Portsmouth, Va., and graduate of Churchland High School, George Pond served as a U.S. Army musician from 1970 to 1973 with the 6th Army Band at Presidio, San Francisco. He left the Army to attend California State University, Fresno where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education. While at CSUF, Mr. Pond studied conducting and trombone/euphonium performance with Dr. Larry Sutherland, Dr. James Winter, and Dr. Ritchie Clendenin.

After graduation, he served as band director at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy ins Suffolk, Va., from 1979 - 1981. Mr. Pond decided to return to the Army, serving with bands at Fort Monroe, Va.; Fairbanks, Alaska; Fort Lee, Va.; South Korea; and finally as a staff member for the Army at the Department of Defense School of Music, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, Va. After retiring from the Army in 2002, he enjoyed country life with his wife Diane on their horse farm in Isle Of Wight County.