Major Douglas R. Burian has served as Director of Operations for “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band since August 2023. He originally joined the Marine Band in 1997 as a trumpeter/cornetist and later held leadership positions within the organization as Operations Officer and Executive Assistant to the Director.

As Director of Operations, Maj. Burian is the liaison to the White House Military Office for Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra commitments at the White House and to the Office of Marine Corps Communication for commitments assigned by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. He is responsible for proposing and implementing the band’s daily work schedule, coordinating ceremonial events with the Military District of Washington, and overseeing audition procedures.

Maj. Burian graduated in 1991 from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md., and received a bachelor’s degree in music from Centre College in Danville, Ky., in 1995. In 1997 he earned a master’s degree in music from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and received his doctoral degree in trumpet performance at the University of Maryland in College Park in 2008.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Major Burian toured China with the New Mexico Brass Quintet and was the 1994 National Brass Winner for the Music Teachers National Association Collegiate Artist Competition. As a member of “The President’s Own” trumpet section, he performed with the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House, in the Washington, D.C., area and across the country during the band’s annual concert tour. He was also active as a performer and conductor for the Marine Chamber Ensembles recital series.