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 Matthew Evans
Element Leader
violin
SGM Matthew Evans
State College, PA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2007
Alum: University of Louisville
SGM 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.
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 Catherine Gerhiser
Section Leader
violin
MSG 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.
MSG Robert Martin
Group Leader/ Assistant Stroll Leader
violin
MSG Robert Martin
Philadelphia, PA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2011
Alum: Eastman School of Music
MSG 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 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 Sergey Prokofyev
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.
SFC Lisa Park
violin
SFC Lisa Park
Lexington, MA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2015
Alum: Harvard University / Rice University
SFC 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 HirshhornMuseum.
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). 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.
SFC Patrick Lin
violin
SFC 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
Assistant Concertmaster
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
Concertmaster
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
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 National, Houston and Baltimore Symphonies and the Washington National Opera. She 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 maintains a private studio in Northern Virginia. 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.
SSG Julia Clancy
viola
SSG Julia Clancy
Shoreham, NY
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2024
Alum: Cleveland Institute of Music / Yale University / Yale University
SSG Julia Clancy joined The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in 2024 after serving as acting section violist in the San Diego Symphony. Prior to this appointment, she performed as a regular substitute in the Nashville Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and Dallas Symphony. As a member of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra, she performs across the globe under the direction of Daniel Barenboim. Prior to the 2020 pandemic, she was serving a two-year contract at the Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin, performing opera, ballet, symphonic and chamber music. She can be heard on multiple albums with the Boulez Ensemble, Konzerthaus Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, and Aldeburgh Ensemble.
As a soloist, she has performed at 92Y, TheGreene Space, National Sawdust, LACMA, and venues across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. After winning the Cleveland Institute of Music’s concerto competition, she performed with the school’s orchestra as a soloist. She has acted as principal violist in Krzysztof Penderecki’s festival orchestra, Britten-Pears Orchestra, Yale Philharmonia, Sarasota Festival Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, Moritzburg Festival Orchestra, and Lorin Maazel’s Castleton Festival Orchestra.
Julia’s early musical education began at the Juilliard School’s Pre-College program. She holds a degree in medical anthropology from Case Western Reserve University and a degree in music from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Jeffrey Irvine, Lynne Ramsey and Robert Vernon. Julia received her master’s and doctoral degrees from Yale University, where she was a two-time winner of the Georgina Lucy Grosvenor Memorial Prize.
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 / U. 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.
guitar
SFC Jan Knutson
Principal Arranger
guitar
SFC Jan Knutson
Berwyn Heights, MD
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2018
Alum: Manhattan School of Music
SFC 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.
bass
SSG Patrick Spallinger
bass
SSG Patrick Spallinger
Lansdale, PA
Group: The U.S. Army Strings
Joined the Band: 2025
Alum: Duquesne University / Carnegie Mellon / Indiana University
Born and raised in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, SSG Pat Spallinger joined The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in August of 2024. Formerly an active freelancer in the greater Pittsburgh region, he has performed regularly with the Wheeling, Canton, and Johnstown Symphony Orchestras. He enjoys exploring the role of the bass in many different genres and has been a member of the funk quintet Pryzem and half of the folk/bluegrass duo MonRye. He has also
recorded a pair of albums with Pittsburgh-based worship leader and songwriter Daniel Snoke. Pat has degrees from Duquesne University, Carnegie Mellon University, and most recently Indiana University, studying primarily with Jeffrey Mangone, Micah Howard, and Jeffrey Turner.
When not playing the bass, he enjoys attending church, drinking good whiskey, walks in the woods, and enthusiastically supporting his hometown Philadelphia sports teams with his wife.
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.
