This week, “The President’s Own” continues its 2026 Chamber Music Series at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 15. Coordinated by saxophonist Gunnery Sgt. Connor Mikula, the concert will take place at Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. The concert is free. No tickets are required.

Program

Directions

Here’s what Mikula and other Marine Band musicians had to say about the performance:

The overall theme of this concert is “New Voices.” Instead of basing a theme around repertoire, I wanted to base it on performers and hear what some of our new band members want to play. The group leaders on this program have never lead before, and ten of the musicians on this program are first-time chamber music performers. I asked them, “what do you want to play?” so I’m giving them a stage to do it! This is what they had to say about each piece:

Pearls by Roland Szentpáli
(Group Leader: Staff Sgt. Andrew Ribo)

“I first heard Roland Szentpali’s Pearls over a decade ago thanks to our colleagues in the United States Army Band. I was a high school freshman, stuck at home for a week due to back-to-back snow days, which happened to coincide with the YouTube livestream of the annual Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop. There is little else that’s cooler to a nerdy 15-year-old euphonium player. I remember sitting at my grandparents’ dining room table, earbuds in, and hearing a piece that was so different, so much more enticing and exhilarating than anything I had yet heard on the euphonium. I was obsessed. Once I was in graduate school, where my skill had progressed enough to be able to successfully perform Pearls, I had to give it a shot. I prepared the piece, but due to other curricular restraints, I never had the opportunity to perform it in its entirety.

As euphonium players, we tend to gravitate to turn-of-the-century virtuosic solos which possess this sense of historic importance and elegance - rarely do we “let our hair down” and give audiences a more current and more accessible display of technique and musicianship. It is my hope that listeners can sit back and enjoy the driving funk, smoky ballad and sweeping samba of Szentpali’s Pearls.”

Trio, FP 43 by Francis Poulenc
(Group Leader: Staff Sgt. Joshua Tuttle)

“I have a soft spot for Francis Poulenc's Trio, FP 43, as it was one of the first pieces of chamber music I can remember hearing. I am from a rural town in South Carolina where music education was not as heavily developed and funded as it is in the Washington, D.C. area. Because of that, I didn't know what “chamber music” was until I was about 15 or 16. I remember hearing this piece at a summer music camp that year at a faculty concert and being mesmerized with the communication and range of emotions the performers brought to the piece. The juxtaposition of the liveliness and humor of the outer movements with the gorgeous melodies of the second stuck with me and helped to ignite my desire to pursue music. Because of that, I thought it was a fitting piece to share on this concert!”

Key West Quintet by Xavier DuBois Foley
(Group Leader: Staff Sgt. Jonathan Keith)

“My biggest motivation for selecting this new piece for piano quintet was not only to highlight a fresh and exciting compositional voice, but to also highlight the newest members of the string section. All four of us have been members of this esteemed organization for just over a year now, so I wanted to find a way to get us together to make music outside of our typical orchestra and White House commitments. When Staff Sgt. Mikula reached out to me about performing at this chamber concert, I knew I had the perfect opportunity to make that vision a reality!

Coincidentally, this piece is heavily inspired by the beaches and cityscapes found in the great state of Florida, which is where our fantastic pianist, Staff Sgt. Dominic Muzzi, is originally from. So naturally I knew it would only be fair to include a native Floridian on the piece inspired by the sunshine state!”

L’étang from Two Rhapsodies by Charles M. Loeffler
(Group Leader: Staff Sgt. Belinda Rosen)

“This is a very colorful piece, feeling almost improvised at times, as if the instruments are having a conversation with each other. I chose this piece because I love how expressive it is and how each player gets moments to shape the music with their own voice. The movement we’re playing feels inquisitive and emotional, which makes it meaningful for us to perform. We hope the audience enjoys it!”

meditation for metal pipes by Emma O’Halloran
(Group Leader: Staff Sgt. Mary LeBlanc)

“The percussion section has taken on several new members recently, so this chamber concert presented an excellent opportunity to get to know each other both musically and personally. Emma O’Halloran’s meditation for metal pipes is a piece whose success hinges entirely on the connection and balance of the players. Through interlocking ‘hocketing’ rhythms, the five of us can build flowing melodies and unique textures, despite each player only having three pipes. Through this collaboration, we can showcase our newest members of the section while simultaneously developing our sense of section playing and unity.”