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U.S. Marine Band Promotes Two of its Own

6 Aug 2018 | Master Sgt. Kristin duBois United States Marine Band

At a ceremony in John Philip Sousa Band Hall on Aug. 3, Marine Band Director Col. Jason K. Fettig promoted two of his leaders: to major, Executive Assistant to the Director Douglas R. Burian and to Operations Officer and the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3, Julia S. Piorkowski.

“Doug Burian had more than just musicianship to offer the band,” Fettig said. “He has been preparing for this his entire career and I am confident he will make this unique billet his own.”

About CW3 Piorkowski, he said, “Her success is no surprise as she is very intelligent and talented. She has incredible work ethic and attention to detail. She is driven for excellence and won’t quit until the mission is accomplished. 

Major Burian has served with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band since 1997 as a trumpeter/cornetist, Operations Assistant, Operations Chief, and Operations Officer. He was appointed Executive Assistant to the Director in June 2018. As the chief advisor to the Director for non-musical matters, he serves as the officer-in-charge of the United States Marine Band’s Support Staff, which consists of the following sections: administration, information systems, music library, music production, the office of communication, recording lab, and supply.

Major 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 (UNM) in Albuquerque and received his doctoral degree in trumpet performance at the University of Maryland (UMD) 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 Music Series.

CW3 Piorkowski joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in October 2004 as a librarian and joined the Operations staff in March 2012. She was appointed as the Marine Band’s first female Operations Officer on Aug. 3, 2018. As Operations Officer, she serves as the liaison to the White House Military Office for Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra’s White House commitments and to the Office of Marine Corps Communication for commitments assigned by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. CW3 Piorkowski 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.

CW3 Piorkowski began her musical training on the French horn at age 9. After graduating in 1995 from Rosary High School in Aurora, she attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned a bachelor’s degree in French horn performance in 2000 and studied with Kazimierz Machala. She received her master’s degree in 2003 and completed her doctoral studies in 2004 at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she studied with Randy Gardner. While she served as a Marine Band librarian she collaborated with, and received training from, the librarians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” CW3 Piorkowski was a freelance musician and private teacher in the Cincinnati area.