WASHINGTON -- “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band invites you to attend the Sousa Season Opener on Sunday, Feb. 2 to begin the 2025 concert season. The free concert will begin at 2 p.m. at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, located on Northern Virginia Community College’s Alexandria Campus.
The performance will feature multiple marches by John Philip Sousa, including a march most appropriate for celebrating the United States Marine Corps’ 250th birthday, “Globe and Eagle.”
Sousa is responsible for bringing the United States Marine Band to an unprecedented level of excellence. He began his career as an apprentice musician with the band at age 13 and remained in the band until he was 20, leaving for Philadelphia to work as a composer, arranger and proofreader for publishing houses. While on tour in St. Louis, he received a telegram offering him the leadership of the Marine Band. He accepted and reported for duty on Oct. 1, 1880, becoming the band’s 17th director at just 25 years of age. Sousa’s intimate knowledge of the band, coupled with his great ability, provided the ideal medium to showcase the marches which would earn him the title “The March King.”
Conducting this year’s Sousa Season Opener is the Associate Director of the Marine Band, Capt. Darren Lin. Lin first joined “The President’s Own” in July 2019 as a percussionist before being appointed Assistant Director in July 2021 and Associate Director in December 2023.
When asked what conducting this concert means to him, Lin said “It is very meaningful to have the opportunity to kick off our 2025 concert season and pay homage to the legendary John Philip Sousa!” He continued: “I’ve always appreciated the way Sousa programmed his concerts, particularly with how diverse his programming was. I did my best to emulate his style with a blend of marches, soloist features and orchestral/operatic transcriptions, while sprinkling a bit of my own proclivities when I could. If I did my job right, there should be a little something for everyone in the audience! I’m particularly excited to feature Master Sgt. Amy McCabe – our Principal Trumpet – on Alexander Arutunian’s famous Trumpet Concerto.”
The concert will also feature various displays of history, including manuscripts from Otto Respighi’s only original work for band (Huntingtower: Ballad for Band) which the Marine Band premiered at the 1932 American Bandmasters Association Conference’s special concert commemorating Sousa’s death. Also on display will be Sousa’s personal copy of The Gondoliers, referencing the programmed duet from the operetta to be performed by Master Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear and Staff Sgt. Hannah Davis.
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