John Philip Sousa (/ˈsuË sÉ™/;[a] November 6, 1854 â€" March 6, 1932)
was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known
primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March
King" or the "American March King", to distinguish him from his
British counterpart Kenneth J. Alford. Among his best-known marches
are "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (National March of the United
States of America), "Semper Fidelis" (official march of the United
States Marine Corps), "The Liberty Bell", "The Thunderer", and "The
Washington Post".Sousa began his career playing violin and studying
music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix
Benkert. His father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as
an apprentice in 1868. He left the band in 1875, and over the next
five years he performed as a violinist and learned to conduct. In 1880
he rejoined the Marine Band, and he served there for 12 years as
director, after which he organized his own band. From 1880 until his
death, he focused exclusively on conducting and writing music. Sousa
aided in the development of the sousaphone, a large brass instrument
similar to the helicon and tuba.Upon the outbreak of World War I,
Sousa was awarded a wartime commission of lieutenant commander to lead
the Naval Reserve Band in Illinois. He then returned to conduct the
Sousa Band until his death in 1932. In the 1920s, he was promoted to
the permanent rank of lieutenant commander in the naval reserve, but
he never saw active service again.
was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known
primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March
King" or the "American March King", to distinguish him from his
British counterpart Kenneth J. Alford. Among his best-known marches
are "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (National March of the United
States of America), "Semper Fidelis" (official march of the United
States Marine Corps), "The Liberty Bell", "The Thunderer", and "The
Washington Post".Sousa began his career playing violin and studying
music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix
Benkert. His father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as
an apprentice in 1868. He left the band in 1875, and over the next
five years he performed as a violinist and learned to conduct. In 1880
he rejoined the Marine Band, and he served there for 12 years as
director, after which he organized his own band. From 1880 until his
death, he focused exclusively on conducting and writing music. Sousa
aided in the development of the sousaphone, a large brass instrument
similar to the helicon and tuba.Upon the outbreak of World War I,
Sousa was awarded a wartime commission of lieutenant commander to lead
the Naval Reserve Band in Illinois. He then returned to conduct the
Sousa Band until his death in 1932. In the 1920s, he was promoted to
the permanent rank of lieutenant commander in the naval reserve, but
he never saw active service again.
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