The U.S. Army Strings
The U.S. Army Strings, a premier ensemble of the U.S. Armed Forces, provide a musical backdrop for many of the country’s most notable events. Their mission is to serve as musical ambassadors for high-level military and government events at home and abroad, as well as in concert for public audiences.
violin
SGM Marlisa Woods
Group Leader
violin SGM Marlisa Woods
Fairfax, VA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2000
Alum: The Cleveland Institute of Music / The Cleveland Institute of Music
SGM Marlisa del Cid Woods began studying the violin at age four through the Suzuki method. Born in Honduras, she was raised in the DC Area and continued her musical training during high school through the National Symphony Youth Fellowship Program. She joined "Pershing’s Own" in 2000 upon completion of her master’s and bachelor’s degrees with academic honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Woods is currently the Group Leader of the U.S. Army Strolling Strings and the NCOIC of the U.S. Army Orchestra. Prior to these appointments, Woods served as Stroll Leader and Concertmaster of the U.S. Army Orchestra, leading performances for National and International heads of state and our nation’s top military leadership. She can be seen performing as soloist on The U.S. Army Band’s YouTube channel. She also performs bluegrass, folk, and country fiddle in a specialty group within The U.S. Army Band called Country Roads, which has delighted audiences of over 2 million in live performances and on YouTube. Woods has performed with some of the world’s finest ensembles including the Cleveland Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore, has appeared as concertmaster and soloist with the Alexandria Symphony, and as frequent soloist with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra. On baroque violin, Woods has performed with the National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra, Bach Sinfonia, Apollo’s Fire, Opera Lafayette, Harmonious Blacksmith, and has performed as soloist and concertmaster with Washington Bach Consort. Woods can be heard on the Eclectra, Lyrichord, and Dorian labels.
MSG Annette Barger
Section Leader
violin MSG Annette Barger
Atlanta, GA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2005
Alum: Brown University / New England Conservatory of Music
A native of Atlanta, GA, MSG Annette Barger began studying the violin at age 3. She joined The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in 2005. Prior to joining, she held positions with the Hartford Symphony, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the New Haven Symphony. She was a violin fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami, FL, and attended numerous music festivals including the Tanglewood Music Center, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, and Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. Barger has been a featured soloist with The U.S. Army Band and Orchestra including performing John Williams’ “Schindler’s List” in the Capitol Rotunda for the “Days of Remembrance” Holocaust ceremony, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
MSG Matthew Evans
Stroll Leader
violin MSG Matthew Evans
State College, PA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2007
Alum: University of Louisville
MSG Matthew Evans joined The U.S. Army Strings in 2007. A native of State College, Pennsylvania, he studied with James Lyon at Penn State University, and Christophe and Judy Bosua at the Ecole Suzuki School in Lyon, France. Evans earned his bachelor's degree in violin performance with honors from the University of Louisville. While at U of L, he studied with Peter McHugh, Paul York, and was concertmaster of the symphony orchestra under the direction of Kim Lloyd.Evans has won numerous concerto competitions and performed solos with the Williamsport Symphony, Nittany Valley Symphony, Louisville Symphony, Sewanee Summer Music Festival Orchestra, and the United States Army Orchestra. Highlights of Evans's Army career have been performing with the joint forces orchestra for President Obama's inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial, Performing a concerto with acclaimed fiddler and jazz violinist Mark O'Conner, and performing the Theme from Schindler's List with The Army Band for the Days of Remembrance Ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Evans currently serves as Stroll Leader for The U.S. Army Strolling Strings.
SFC Judith Cho
violin SFC Judith Cho
Brooklyn, NY
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2007
Alum: State University of NY at Purchase / City University at Brooklyn College Conservatory / The Graduate Center and City University of NY
SFC Judith Cho actively performs in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area on violin and viola. She studied with Itzhak Perlman and Masao Kawasaki at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of NY. She worked with violist Emanuel Vardi at the Manhattan School of Music and SUNY Purchase. She has done orchestral, chamber and solo concerts at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and at the Kennedy Center. With cellist husband, David Cho, she collaborates in chamber and concerto performances. They reside in McLean, Virginia with their two children.
SFC Robert Martin
Section Leader
violin SFC Robert Martin
Philadelphia, PA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2011
Alum: Eastman School of Music
SFC Robert Martin began violin studies at age three with Rochelle Walton, a former teaching assistant to famed pedagogue Ivan Galamian. He later studied with Julian Meyer and Sylvia Davis Ahramjian at Temple University's Center for Gifted Young Musicians, and at age 13, having won the Albert M. Greenfield Competition, made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He went on to study with Zvi Zeitlin at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music where he served as Concertmaster of the Eastman Philharmonia and performed regularly with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been a resident artist at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, and at the Bravo! Vail Valley, Skaneateles, and Vermont Mozart festivals. A member of The U.S. Army Strings since 2011, Martin has performed at numerous high level diplomatic, political, and military events in Washington, D.C., and served as Concertmaster of the U.S. Army Orchestra from 2015 to 2021. He serves concurrently as Concertmaster of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra where he has appeared many times as soloist, and previously served as Principal Second Violin of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Martin’s extensive and diverse experience includes performances with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, Orchestra 2001, and the Baltimore and Richmond Symphony Orchestras, as well as studio recordings for Warner Bros. Pictures, NFL Films, and the Sony, Atlantic, RCA, Island/Def Jam, Motown, Jive, Fo Yo Soul, and Geffen record labels.
SFC Catherine Gerhiser
Section Leader
violin SFC Catherine Gerhiser
Savannah, GA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2011
Alum: The Juilliard School / The Juilliard School
SFC Catherine Gerhiser, a native of Savannah, Georgia, received her bachelor’s degree from the Juilliard School in 2005, and her Master’s in 2007, studying with Masao Kawasaki. Prior to her time at The Juilliard School, she attended the Cleveland Institute of Music Young Artist Program, studying with Linda Cerone. Her many inspiring coaches and teachers include Michael Tilson Thomas, Joseph Kalichstein, Joel Smirnoff, Bonnie Hampton, and John Mack, among others. Gerhiser has performed with the Tanglewood Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, National Repertory Orchestra, and Spoleto Festival Orchestra. Gerhiser has appeared as soloist with the Savannah Symphony, the Hilton-Head Philharmonia, the National Repertory Orchestra, The New World Symphony, and the US Army Orchestra. Prior to joining the Strolling Strings, Gerhiser spent four years in Miami, Florida, playing with the New World Symphony, where she met her husband, Gene. Gerhiser loves exploring DC with her husband and three sons.
SFC Sergey Prokofyev
Concertmaster
violin SFC Sergey Prokofyev
Brooklyn, NY
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2015
Alum: Aaron Copland School of Music – Queens College
SFC Sergey Prokofyev won his position in The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" in 2015 as a member of The U.S. Army Strings. Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, he began his violin studies there at the age of 5 with notable teacher Irina Svyatlovskaya of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1998, Prokofyev and his family immigrated to the United States where he continued his studies in New York City, first attending Kaufman Center’s Special Music School, and later graduating from LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and the Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division. He received his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in Flushing, New York, where he studied under Professor Daniel Phillips.Prior to joining “Pershing’s Own”, Prokofyev pursued an active and versatile career as a freelance musician in New York. He served as Concertmaster of the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, was a member of the string ensemble Bachanalia led by world renowned violinist Nina Beilina, and is a charter member of the Tsenov Chamber Ensemble. He has performed concerts with the New Britain Symphony Orchestra (CT) and the Musical Olympus Festival Orchestra (NY). In 2014, Prokofyev toured Europe and Russia as a guest member of New York’s BARD College Conservatory Orchestra under the direction of Leon Botstein. Earlier that year, he toured China as a member of the Manhattan Symphonie Orchestra under the direction of Gregory Singer. Prokofyev recently made his new music debut with InnoVax, a contemporary music ensemble based in New York, and made his international debut in 2015 at the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan.
SSG Lisa Park
violin SSG Lisa Park
Lexington, MA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2015
Alum: Harvard University / Rice University
SSG Lisa Park received a B.A. in Psychology and was awarded the Hastings Prize in Musical Performance at Harvard University. Park performed with the Ying Quartet at Harvard and studied at the Eastman School of Music for one year. She received an M.M. from Rice University and a Performer’s Diploma from Southern Methodist University while serving as undergraduate violin instructor. Her teachers include Roman Totenberg, Emanuel Borok and Cho-Liang Lin.
She has served as concertmaster of ensembles including the Castleton Festival Orchestra under the late Lorin Maazel, National Orchestral Institute under David Robertson, Arlington Philharmonic, New Orchestra of Washington, and Rockville Bach Academy. Park has performed as featured soloist with the New England String Ensemble on the Boston Esplanade, The U.S. Army Orchestra, Harvard Bach Society Orchestra, Wellesley Symphony, and Boston Civic Symphony. Park received fellowships from the Aspen Music School, Kneisel Hall Chamber Festival, Moritzburg Academy, and was artist-in-residence at Atlantic Music Festival. As a proponent of new music, she has performed with contemporary ensembles including the 21st Century Consort at the Hirshhorn Museum.
Park was the first placing violinist in the USA International Music Competition and New England String Ensemble Competition and was recipient of the Volkswagen Prize for Best Chamber Music Performance (Moritzburg Academy). In 2016, SSG Park was one of three junior U.S. Army Soldiers from the MDW recognized for excellent service by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. Prior to joining the U.S. Army Strings in 2015, Park served as Professor of Violin and Music Theory at Richland College in Dallas, TX. An active educator, Park has served as an adjudicator at local concerto competitions. She is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society.
SSG Patrick Lin
violin SSG Patrick Lin
Fargo, ND
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2019
Alum: Florida State University / Cleveland Institute of Music
SSG Patrick Lin was born in Buffalo, NY, and grew up in Fargo, ND, where he began studying violin at the age of 7 with Mary Weisser and Jane Linde Capistran. He continued his studies at The Florida State University (Bachelor of Music 2015) with Dr. Benjamin Sung and the Cleveland Institute of Music (Master of Music 2018) with William Preucil. Patrick joined The U.S. Army Strings in February of 2019. Previously, he lived in Honolulu, HI, where he was a member of the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra and performed with Hawai'i Opera Theatre and Ballet Hawai'i. Patrick has also performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Charleston Symphony, and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestras and has attended festivals around the country, including the Britt Music and Arts Festival (OR), Lexington Bach Festival (MI), National Repertory Orchestra (CO), and Spoleto Festival USA (SC).
SSG Jordan Hendy
violin SSG Jordan Hendy
,
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2020
Alum: The Juilliard School / The Juilliard School
SSG Jordan Hendy was born in Chertsey, England, and grew up in Berkeley Heights, NJ where he started playing the violin and piano at age 7. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from The Juilliard School, studying violin performance under Li Lin and Naoko Tanaka. Hendy attended numerous music festivals including the Heifetz International Institute, New York String Orchestra Seminar, and the Tanglewood Music Center from 2017-18 before joining The U.S. Army Strings in 2019.
Hendy enjoys teaching violin, piano and viola at his private studio in Springfield, Virginia. He also loves playing tennis and collaborating in chamber performances.
SSG Charles Gleason
violin SSG Charles Gleason
Columbus, OH
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2021
Alum: The Cleveland Institute of Music / Rice University
SSG Charles Gleason grew up in Columbus, OH, where he studied violin extensively with Stephen Sims, adjunct professor at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Christian Howes, Columbus-based jazz violinist. He later pursued his bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with David Updegraff and later Joan Kwuon. As a participant in CIM’s Intensive Quartet Seminar, led by Peter Salaff and the members of the Cavani Quartet, his quartet was a semifinalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and performed as part of the Kennedy Center Conservatory Project in Washington D.C. Gleason went on to pursue his master’s at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, studying with Cho-Liang Lin. Apart from school, he has participated in summer festivals and workshops that include the Verbier Festival Orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Academy, the Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, and the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar. Gleason graduated from Rice in 2020, and after a year away from school, he joined the U.S. Army Strings in June of 2021.
viola
MSG Beth Walenta
viola MSG Beth Walenta
Milwaukee, WI
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2002
Alum: The Juilliard School / The Juilliard School
MSG Beth Walenta earned both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in performance from The Juilliard School where she studied with and served as teaching assistant to Heidi Castleman and Misha Amory. She is currently one of the principal violists of The U.S. Army Orchestra of "Pershing's Own," where she also performs stroll music, chamber music and is a founding member of the Contemporary Ensemble. She has been a featured soloist with the Army Orchestra, and with the Northwestern Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Theater Orchestra in New Jersey as well. Walenta regularly plays with the National Symphony Orchestra, The Washington Opera Orchestra and the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra.
SSG Erica Schwartz
viola SSG Erica Schwartz
Albany, NY
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2020
Alum: New England Conservatory, Tufts University / Shepherd School of Music at Rice University
SSG Erica Schwartz is originally from Albany, New York. She holds a B.M. from the New England Conservatory, B.A. in Political Science from Tufts University, and a Master of Music from Rice University. An active orchestral musician, she has appeared as a substitute violist with the Houston Symphony, and was the winner of a contract with the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra prior to joining "Pershing’s Own". Career highlights include performances of the solo viola role in Strauss’s Don Quixote at Rice University, and participation in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Program, which allowed her to perform as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic. Schwartz has appeared at festivals such as the Pacific Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Kneisel Hall, Bowdoin and the Banff Centre Chamber Music Residency. In addition to performing, Schwartz has held several administrative positions, including internships with the early music ensemble Handel and Haydn Society and at the Massachusetts State House. She also served as the viola coach for Tufts Youth Philharmonic and now maintains a private studio. Her primary teachers include Roger Tapping, Dimitri Murrath, Ivo-Jan Van der Werff and Joan DerHovsepian. In her free time, Schwartz enjoys hiking, reading, photography, and cooking with friends.
SSG Rebecca Barnett
viola SSG Rebecca Barnett
Baltimore, MD
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2022
Alum: The University of Maryland, College Park / Rice University
SSG Rebecca Barnett, from Baltimore, Maryland, joined the U.S. Army Strings in 2022. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2018, and her master's Degree from Rice University in 2020. Her primary teachers were Katherine Murdock and Ivo Jan van der Werff.
Barnett has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician at concerts all over the United States. She has appeared at music festivals such as the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Innsbrook Summer Academy and Festival, National Symphony Summer Music Institute, Mendocino Music Festival, Colorado College Music Festival, and the Texas Music Festival. In addition, she has made multiple appearances at the Kennedy Center for various chamber music performances.
As a soloist, she performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with the Montgomery College Orchestra. Further, she was a finalist in the University of Maryland Concerto Competition in both 2016 and 2017, for her performances of the Bowen and Rozsa viola concertos. She was also a prize winner in the 2015-16 EnKor International Music Competition for Strings.
Barnett maintains an active private teaching studio from her home studio in Maryland. In her spare time, Barnett loves cooking, gardening, and walking.
SSG Austin Simmons
viola SSG Austin Simmons
Arlington, TX
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2022
Alum: Rice University / Rice University
SSG Austin Simmons grew up in Arlington, Texas, so he is both pleased and amused that fate led him to a career in Arlington, Virginia. Before joining The U.S. Army Strings in 2022, Simmons earned both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in viola performance from Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he studied with Ivo-Jan van der Werff. Throughout his musical education, Simmons enjoyed a number of artistic collaborations. Most notably, as a seasoned string quartet musician, he was invited to join Madeline Island Chamber Music’s Quartet in Residence program in 2018, where he performed the works of Hadyn and Britten across the Twin Cities. Additionally, with musical interests branching outside the realm of classical music, Simmons has played alongside artists such as Hungarian pianist Balázs Havasi and Colombian singer Fonseca. When he isn't making music, Simmons enjoys cooking, lifting weights, and dabbling in game design.
cello
MSG Benjamin Wensel
Section Leader
cello MSG Benjamin Wensel
Rochester, NY
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2003
Alum: Cleveland Institute of Music / Eastman School of Music
A native of Western New York, MSG Benjamin Wensel earned degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Eastman School of Music, where he served as assistant to renowned pedagogue Alan Harris. Equally important to his musical education were performances in seminars and master classes for members of the Cleveland, Guaneri, Juilliard, Miami and Ying quartets; chamber music studies with Peter Salaff and members of the Audubon and Cavani Quartets; and solo master classes with David Soyer, Clemens Michael Hagen, Steven Isserlis and Michel Strauss. Wensel has performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Syracuse Symphony, and has been a member of The U.S. Army Strings, Orchestra and String Quartet since 2003. Additionally, Wensel appears with many of the fine local ensembles in the National Capital Region. Dedicated to the creation and promotion of new music, Wensel performed the world premieres of more than 20 works written by established and emerging American composers as a founding member of the Tarab Cello Ensemble and participated in the ensemble’s residencies at Princeton University, Stetson University, and the University of South Florida. He currently coaches for the 9th Street Chamber Music, Quartet Intensive program as well as maintaining a private studio in Fairfax, Virginia. Grateful to be an active member of the innovative arts community of the Capital region, Wensel performs regularly as the cellist of the Mellifera Quartet. He can be heard on recordings produced by Bridge, Delos, Harmonia Mundi, RM Records, and Summit.
SFC Hrant Parsamian
cello SFC Hrant Parsamian
Plovdiv, Bulgaria,
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2010
Alum: The Juilliard School / Yale School of Music
SFC Hrant Parsamian has been a prize winner in international competitions including the Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition, the Montgomery Symphony Fellowship, the Olga Koussevitzky Competition, the HAMS Cello Competition, and the Hudson Valley String Competition. He has appeared in venues such as Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Banff Center for the Arts, and the Orford Festival. His collaborations include Hans Graf, Carlos Prieto, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Zakhar Bron, Natalya Shakhovskaya, Franz Helmerson, Richard Watkins, and Oxana Yablonskaya. Parsamian is a member of the Arsenal Trio together with violinist Benjamin Sung and pianist Jihye Chang Sung. As a teacher he has given studio and master classes at Yale University and The William Blount-Slawson Competition, among others. Born in Bulgaria, Parsamian started the cello at an early under the guidance of his mother. His first recital was at the age of six. Two years later he gave his debut as a soloist performing C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concerto. Parsamian holds bachelor degrees from The Hochschulle fur Music in Wien, The Juilliard School, and received his Masters of Music from Yale School of Music where he studied with world renowned cellist Aldo Parisot. In 2010, Parsamian won a position with The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" and married pianist Tatjana Parsamian. He is the proud father of a son, Benjamin.
SSG Aaron Ludwig
cello SSG Aaron Ludwig
St. Louis, MO
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2016
Alum: University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music / University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music / University of Miami
From St. Louis Missouri, SSG Aaron Ludwig’s varied career includes performing chamber and orchestral music with some of the world’s leading musicians. As a fellow of the New World Symphony, Ludwig performed as principal cellist of the orchestra with conductors including Michael Tilson Thomas, Stéphane Denève and Osmo Vänskä. For the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Ludwig served as principal cellist for the 75th anniversary performance of Mahler's Eighth Symphony, conducted by Boston Symphony's Andris Nelsons. As a chamber musician, Ludwig co-founded Trio Lunaire, a piano trio that performed and competed internationally including ARD Munich's Piano Trio Competition in Germany. He also performed Beethoven's "Archduke Piano Trio" with Yefim Bronfman.Before joining the Army Strings, Ludwig had a unique position with the Arkansas Symphony and Rockefeller String Quartet that involved performances at schools and performance spaces all around the state of Arkansas. While living in Arkansas, Ludwig was an Instructor at Hendrix College.
SSG James Hettinga
cello SSG James Hettinga
Elyria, OH
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2022
Alum: Cleveland Institute of Music
SSG James Hettinga, an Ohio native, began studying cello at four years old. Throughout his childhood, he performed regularly in his community alongside his four older siblings, giving him a love for sharing music with others. Hettinga was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra during high school with whom he made his concerto debut at Severance Hall. In his junior year, Hettinga joined the prestigious Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Dr. Melissa Kraut. Through this program, Hettinga’s quartet won the Silver Medal in the Junior Division at the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Hettinga was a prizewinner of both the renowned Klein International String Competition and the Mondavi Center National Young Artist Competition in 2019. He also was a winner of the CIM Concerto Competition and was given an honorable mention in the 2020 Schadt String Competition. He completed his bachelor’s degree at CIM with academic honors in the spring of 2021. Hettinga has had the privilege of performing with distinguished musicians including Jinjoo Cho, Matthew Allen, members of the Cavani and Ariel String Quartets, and cellists of The Cleveland Orchestra. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, playing guitar, and exploring the D.C. area with his wife.
string bass
SGM Thomas Fowler
Element Leader
string bass SGM Thomas Fowler
Los Angeles, CA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 1997
Alum: University of Southern California / University of Maryland, College Park
SGM Thomas K. Fowler joined The U.S. Army Strings in 1997. Originally from Los Angeles, California, he received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree from the University of Maryland. His teachers include John Clayton, Paul Ellison, and Curtis Burris of the National Symphony.
guitar
SSG Jan Knutson
guitar SSG Jan Knutson
Berwyn Heights, MD
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2018
Alum: Manhattan School of Music
SSG Jan Knutson, guitarist, has been a member of The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” since August 2018. Prior to joining “Pershing’s Own” at the age of 19, he attended the Manhattan School of Music as a student of Rodney Jones. He also studied with Steve Abshire, Frank Vignola, Martin Taylor, Peter Bernstein and Paul Wingo. At the age of 15, he recorded his solo CD album, “Out of Nowhere.” At the age of 16 he was selected as a Strathmore Artist in Residence and presented several concerts throughout the year and recorded his second album, “Looking Both Ways,” featuring guitarist Steve Abshire, bassist Tommy Cecil, and mandolinist Danny Knicely. Knutson has been a featured artist at several jazz festivals including Richmond Folk Festival, True Blue Jazz Festival, Syracuse JazzFest, and Savannah Folk Festival. Knutson has also performed at premier venues such as the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, The Iridium, and the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. He has performed with some of the world’s greatest guitarists including Julian Lage, Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Gene Bertoncini, and Martin Taylor. Knutson is a native of Berwyn Heights, MD, and graduated from the Science and Technology Program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.
Learn More
The U.S. Army Strings, a premier ensemble of the U.S. Armed Forces, provide a musical backdrop for many of the country’s most notable events. Their mission is to serve as musical ambassadors for high-level military and government events at home and abroad, as well as in concert for public audiences. The Soldiers who comprise this ensemble have been trained at the most prestigious music conservatories and universities in the country. This versatile ensemble performs as The U.S. Army Strolling Strings, in mixed chamber ensembles, and as The U.S. Army Orchestra.
The U.S. Army Strolling Strings are one of the most requested musical ensembles by our nation’s military leadership. Since its inception during the Eisenhower administration, the group has provided musical entertainment at the White House for every president. Missions include performing for the Department of Defense, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, kings, queens, and heads of state from countries worldwide. The Strolling Strings offer audiences the unique perspective of being within the ensemble as Soldiers elegantly move about the venue playing their instruments. The Strolling Strings offer a wide array of memorized repertoire, including patriotic, classical, international, jazz, Broadway, bluegrass, and exclusive music arrangements for special guests and events.
Chamber music is a core element of The U.S. Army Strings’ mission. String quartets provide a backdrop for significant official functions as well as public performances. Duos, trios, quartets, and mixed chamber ensembles perform in venues throughout the National Capital Region.
The U.S. Army Strings join with Soldiers from other elements of The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” to form The U.S. Army Orchestra. This group performs musical works from a diverse repertoire at some of the nation’s finest venues, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Lincoln Center in New York City, the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland, College Park, and the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center in Alexandria, Virginia.
