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US Naval Academy Band

Corrections to missing or erroneous information are gladly received.  Please send them by email to the webmaster at: worldbands@sympatico.ca

(Thanks to Kenneth Berger's Band Encyclopedia.)

The US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland was formed in 1845 and the first "Band" was a Drummer and a Fifer who furnished the military music for the cadets.  In late 1852, the bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography authorized a band at the Academy.  This however, did not take place until early 1853 when musician John Philip Pfeiffer of the Charlestown Navy Yard Band at Boston organized a band of thirteen musicians who were moved to Annapolis.  The band was augmented to about 17 men at the beginning of the Civil War when the academy was transferred to Newport, Rhode Island.  In 1867 the Superintendent of the Academy issued this humorous order: "Midshipman Thompson (1st Class) who plays so abominably on his fish horn will oblige me by going outside the limits when he wants to practice or he will find himself coming out of the little end of the horn."

At the close of the Civil War the Academy, with the band, moved back to Annapolis.  In 1903, 17 Naval musicians were sent to to the Academy from Norfolk, Virginia to augment the civilians in the Academy band.  In 1910, by act of Congress the bands were merged as a band of 48 performers, all with military rank.  In 1919, the band numbered 75 and in 1948 it numbered 80 musicians.

Band Leaders have been:

1853-            John Philip Pfeiffer                                                            1916-1919    Adolf Torovsky

                    Hamer                                                                              1919-1930    H.J.Peterman

                    Myer                                                                                1930-1947    William H. Sima

                    Marshall                                                                            1947-1955   Alexander Cecil Morris

1865-1884     Peter Schoff                                                                      1955-          Max E Corrick

1864-1916     Charles A Zimmerman

Pasqual DeSantis directed a band of musicians at the Academy  from 1903-1910.  This group was amalgamated with the civilian group directed by Zimmerman as an enlisted organization.

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