Sousa, John Philip

(born Nov. 6, 1854, Washington, D.C., U.S.—died March 6, 1932, Reading, Pa.) U.S. bandmaster and composer known as “The March King.” As a youth he learned to play the violin and various band instruments. In 1868 he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as an apprentice in the Marine Band, and from 1880 to 1892 he directed the group, building it into a virtuoso ensemble. In 1892 he formed his own band, with which he toured internationally to great acclaim. He composed 136 military marches, including “Semper Fidelis” (the official march of the Marines), “The Washington Post,” “The Liberty Bell,” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” He also wrote successful operettas, including (1896), and dozens of other works. In the 1890s he developed a type of bass tuba now known as the sousaphone.

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