Master Sgt. Hiram Diaz

U.S. Marine Band

Euphonium Player Master Sergeant Hiram Diaz of Miami joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in January 2012 and was appointed assistant principal in December 2023. Master Sgt. Diaz began his musical instruction at age 12. After graduating in 2003 from the New World School of the Arts in Miami, he attended the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance in 2007. His instructors have included Timothy Northcut of CCM; Jay Bertolet, former principal tuba with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra; and Brian Bowman of the University of North Texas. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Master Sgt. Diaz was a member of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence Band (283d Army Band) in Ft. Benning, Ga. Master Sgt. Diaz performs with the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House, in the Washington, D.C., area, and across the country during the band’s annual concert tour. He performed Tom Davoren’s Ascension as featured soloist on the 2016 national concert tour, and Dennis Llinas’s Variations on La Comparsa on the 2026 national concert tour. Since 2017, Master Sgt. Diaz has served as co-leader of the band’s Latin Jazz Ensemble, and as a vocalist with Free Country since 2022.

Justin Benavidez

Florida State University

Hailed as “a true virtuoso” by Fanfare Magazine and lauded as a “tour-de-force” by American Record Guide, Justin Benavidez joined the faculty of the Eastman School of Music as Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium in 2023. He is Principal Tuba of the Syracuse Orchestra and spends his summers on faculty at the Round Top Music Festival in Round Top, Texas and as Principal Tuba of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, California. Benavidez has performed across North America, Europe, and Japan. He has appeared as a concerto soloist with various ensembles, including the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. His debut solo album Emblems won Silver Medals in the Classical Album and Solo Instrumentalist categories of the 2018 Global Music Awards. The International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal described it as “an impressive and highly entertaining record” on which Benavidez “shreds with enthusiasm, exuberance, and precision.” His second album Storyteller won Silver Medals in the Classical Album and Solo Instrumentalist categories of the 2022 Global Music Awards and was named a finalist for the 2023 ITEA Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording. Fanfare described the album as “splendidly eloquent […] a masterclass in expressiveness.” As an orchestral tubist, Benavidez has performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and Utah Symphony. He is the only tubist to have been awarded the Orchestral Fellowship and the New Horizons Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival where he was a student for six summers, held the principal tuba chair in the festival orchestra, and was the winner of the Aspen Music Festival concerto competition. Benavidez was the distinguished recipient of the Horace H. Rackham Merit Fellowship for doctoral studies at the University of Michigan and was presented with the University of Michigan Paul Boylan Award for outstanding accomplishments and significant contributions in the field of music. As a scholar, Benavidez was awarded the McKnight Faculty Fellowship to complete his research on the most significant solo repertoire for tuba, culminating in a critical volume that will be published by Oxford University Press. He serves as Editor-in-Chief for the ITEA Journal and was the editor for Flow Studies through Mountain Peak Music, a daily routine regimen for tuba. As one of today’s leading educators, Benavidez is frequently invited to present master classes and perform as a guest recitalist at preeminent universities, workshops, and conferences. Notable invitations have included Indiana University, the University of Michigan, Yale University, Rice University, the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo, the Bern University of the Arts in Switzerland, the Lyon Conservatory of Music, the Paris Conservatory of Music, and multiple International Tuba Euphonium Conferences. He was awarded the Florida State University Teaching Award in 2021 for exceptional teaching and mentorship. Benavidez’s students have distinguished themselves through numerous accomplishments and awards, including first place prizes at international competitions, performing positions in premier military bands and orchestras, and teaching positions at secondary and collegiate institutions. Benavidez is a Melton Meinl Weston and Denis Wick performing artist.

Matt Hightower

Indiana University

Matt Hightower is Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Prior to his appointment at Indiana, he served on the faculties of Florida State University, the University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University–Kingsville. An award-winning performer, composer, and educator, Hightower is a member of the Emerald Brass Quintet and has performed with ensembles including the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic, Sarasota Symphony Orchestra, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, where he served as Principal Tuba. His recordings include Re(in)spiration (2019), a finalist for the 2021 International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA) Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording; Rapid Run (2025), winner of the Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording (Chamber Music); and Renewal (2026), featuring new works for solo tuba. As a composer, he received the ITEA Winston Morris Award for Tuba Ensemble Composition in 2021 and 2025 and the Harvey Phillips Award for Excellence in Composition in 2023. Hightower’s students are active throughout the profession as educators and performers, with many earning recognition at national and international competitions and conferences. Hightower earned degrees from Murray State University, Indiana University, and The University of Texas at Austin. He is a B&S Performing Artist.

Mauro Martins

Mauro Martins is a Portuguese euphonium player, whose international career has established him as one of the most distinguished euphonium performers of his generation. Renowned for his exceptional musicality, technical virtuosity, and artistic versatility, he regularly appears as a soloist at major festivals and concert halls across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Mauro began his musical studies at the Escola Profissional de Artes da Covilhã and later graduated from the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo. As a soloist, Mauro Martins has performed in countries including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania, Belgium, the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Colombia, collaborating with a wide range of orchestras, wind bands, and ensembles. Deeply committed to the artistic development of the euphonium, he has actively contributed to expanding the instrument’s repertoire, premiering numerous contemporary works written for him. His discography includes the albums FLOW (2020), Twenty Characteristic Etudes for Tuba and Euphonium (2021), On My Way (2024) and Devil’s Virtuosity (2026). “On My Way” was awarded the prestigious ITEA Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording, one of the most important international distinctions in the low brass world. A prizewinner in several international competitions, he notably won 1st Prize at the Concours International de Saxhorn, Euphonium and Tuba (France, 2019), as well as the “Terras de La Salette” International Wind Competition, which he won in 2014 and 2015. Alongside his performing career, Mauro Martins is a euphonium teacher at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway. He is also regularly invited to give masterclasses and to serve as a jury member at some of the most prestigious international competitions in his field, including the International Tuba Euphonium Competition (ITEC), the China Low Brass International Competition, and the AETYB International Competition, among others. Mauro Martins is an artist for Adams Brass, Brass Lab. Momo, and Denis Wick, and is widely recognized as one of the leading euphonium players of his generation.

Ryan McGeorge

Ryan McGeorge is a versatile musician and former member of “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band in Washington, DC. During his service with the Marine Band, Ryan showcased diverse musical skills in multiple configurations, including chamber ensembles and solo performances, exhibiting a wide variety of musical genres. Among these configurations, he introduced Jazz Euphonium to the White House, where he performed for countless international dignitaries and celebrities. Over the years, Ryan has participated in several International Tuba/Euphonium Conferences as a guest artist and clinician, including the U.S. Army Band International Tuba/Euphonium Workshop, where he has been showcased on numerous occasions for his contributions as a jazz artist and clinician, including various chamber recitals and solo performances with the U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble. Moreover, he has been featured at numerous ITEA conferences, as well as the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival, as a member of the U.S. Marine Band Tuba/Euphonium Quartet. Ryan contributed heavily to this group as an arranger and composer, resulting in two acclaimed albums under the civilian alias “Off Bass Brass.” Their sophomore release Tubacus Galacticus achieved widespread recognition, earning the prestigious Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording in the Jazz and Commercial category. Beyond his military service, Ryan is known for creative musical endeavors through unique collaborations and solo projects. Most recently he released his debut solo album Kuranes, a jazz fusion recording of his own original compositions and arrangements, pushing the boundaries of traditional Euphonium performance by incorporating electronic effects pedals to create expanded timbral colors. Celebrating the release of the album, he headlined a performance at the historic Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club in Washington, DC for an enthusiastic crowd. The genesis of his unique style and sound emerged when he headlined the jazz fusion band Euphonasia. Their debut album Dark Blue Hair also features almost exclusively his original compositions and arrangements. Ryan thrives on taking the Euphonium into unexpected scenarios, challenging traditional perceptions and pushing the boundaries of what can be possible for the instrument. It is through this approach that he achieved a milestone as the first instrumentalist to perform the National Anthem at Washington, DC’s Nationals Park. As a composer, his most recent commission was written for the George Mason University Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble entitled Steeled, performed at NERTEC 2026 in Boston. Before joining the Marine Band, Ryan held a position as Euphonium Soloist with the Broadway show Blast! on their first US tour. His time with the production coincided with its illustrious run, earning both Tony and Emmy Awards for its groundbreaking contributions to the performing arts. As an alumnus of the University of North Texas, Ryan honed his craft studying with Dr. Brian L. Bowman, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Euphonium Performance. While still in school, he was internationally recognized by placing first in the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition. Ryan has recently returned to Denton, TX where he is serving as Adjunct Professor of Euphonium at UNT for the 2026/2027 academic school year.

tuba

SSG Chris Bloom

Kingston, PA

Group: The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band

Joined the Band: 2025

Alum: Penn State University / Carnegie Mellon University / Florida State University

SSG Chris Bloom, a native of Kingston, Pennsylvania, joined The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in 2025. He holds degrees from Florida State University (DM), Carnegie Mellon University (MM), and Penn State University (BM). His primary teachers include Matthew Hightower, Justin Benavidez, Craig Knox, and Velvet Brown. Prior to joining “Pershing’s Own,” Bloom served as Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium at Colorado State University and as Principal Tuba of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Harrisburg Symphony, Panama City Symphony Orchestra, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. He is a co-founder of the Honseo Tuba/Euphonium Quartet and has appeared at major conferences including the International Tuba Euphonium Conference, U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop, International Women’s Brass Conference, and the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference. An active competitor and scholar, Bloom has won first prize at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference’s Arnold Jacobs Mock Orchestral Audition Competition, the Leonard Falcone International Artist Tuba Competition, and the Midwest Tuba Euphonium Conference’s Solo Tuba Artist Competition. His articles have been published in the International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal, and he is a Melton Meinl Weston and Denis Wick Performing Artist. Outside of music, Bloom enjoys weightlifting, watching baseball, and spending time with friends and family.

Jannicke Ellingsen

Norwegian Army Band

Jannicke Eide Ellingsen is a euphonium player from Bergen, Norway. She is working in the Norwegian Army Band where she won her position in 2023. She is also the euphonium teacher at the Arctic University of Norway. As a soloist, Jannicke is giving concerts and masterclasses around the world. She has been performing in places like Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, England and America. She has been performing with different bands and orchestras including Filharmonia Zielonogórska, Krohnengen Brass Band, Eikanger-Bjørsvik, the Royal Norwegian Naval Forces´Band, Georgia Brass Band and Göteborg Wind Orchestra. Jannicke is educated from the Grieg Academy in Bergen and from Höchschule Luzern in Switzerland. The teachers during her bachelor and master performance were Grethe Tonheim, Tormod Flaten and Thomas Rüedi. She finished her studies with the highest mark in 2015. In 2006 Jannicke joined the leading brass band Eikanger-Bjørsvik, where she played for 10 years. During her time in the band they got the first prize in the Norwegian National Championship a total of 7 times. Jannicke has participated in national and international soloist competitions. In 2008 she got the 2nd prize in the Norwegian National Competition for Wind, Brass & Percussion. In 2014 she advanced to the final of ITEC, and in 2017 she got the first prize in the Regional Competition for Wind, Brass & Percussion in Bergen. Jannicke is an artist for Adams brass and Denis Wick Products