Ralph M. Gambone is a former

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

officer. He served as Leader/Officer in Charge of the

U.S. Navy Band The United States Navy Band, based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served as the official musical organization of the U.S. Navy since 1925. The U.S. Navy Band serves the ceremonial needs at the seat of U.S. government, pe ...

from August 13, 1998 to March 2007. Prior to that, he served as Director of the U.S. Naval Academy Band in

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

Career

A native of Annapolis, in 1963 Gambone received a one-semester scholarship to the

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a Private university, private music and dance music school, conservatory and College-preparatory school, preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1857, it became affiliat ...

and soloed with the Naval Academy Band following a formal audition process. Gambone enlisted in the Navy in 1969 after receiving his bachelor's degree in music from Towson State College (Maryland). He was first assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy Band as a

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

instrumentalist and also served as

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

of the

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

Stage and Concert Bands. While there he earned a master's degree in music from

Catholic University Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical univers ...

in Washington, D.C. After a tour of duty aboard the cruiser USS ''Little Rock'' (CLG 4), Gambone was assigned to the

United States Navy Band The United States Navy Band, based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served as the official musical organization of the U.S. Navy since 1925. The U.S. Navy Band serves the ceremonial needs at the seat of U.S. government, pe ...

in Washington, D.C. After three years with the Band and promotion to chief musician, he was assigned to the

Bureau of Naval Personnel The Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) in the United States Department of the Navy is similar to the human resources department of a corporation. The bureau provides administrative leadership and policy planning for the Office of the Chief of N ...

as Assistant Budget Manager for the

Navy Music Program Fleet Band Activities (FBA), formerly the Navy Music Program (NMP), is the central management office for nine active-duty fleet bands of the United States Navy. It is located at Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington, Tennessee. FBA has ...

in 1978. In 1981, he was commissioned an

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

and reported for duty as Music Program Liaison Officer for the Navy Chief of Information in

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

. After two years as Director, Navy Band

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, he was assigned as the

's Supply Officer in 1985, and a year later assumed the duties of the Band's Assistant Leader. From August 1988 to June 1990, he served as Director, SEVENTH Fleet Band, stationed on board the USS ''Blue Ridge'' (LCC 19) in

Yokosuka, Japan is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city is ...

, before returning to the

as Assistant Leader. His next assignment took him to the Armed Forces School of Music in Little Creek, Va., where he served first as Executive Officer from March to August 1994, then as Commanding Officer. He was promoted to captain in October 2002, while serving as Director of the U.S. Navy Band.

Awards and honors

The Distinguished Achievement Award in music from

Towson State University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its founding, ...

, May 1991. Inductee,

American Bandmasters Association The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman to promote concert band music.Raoul F. Camus. "American Bandmasters Association." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/sub ...

(ABA), April 2001

References

External links

Official biography, from the United States Navy Band websiteUSS Little Rock Association Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gambone, Ralph M. United States Navy officers American male conductors (music) Towson University alumni People from Annapolis, Maryland Living people Catholic University of America alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American clarinetists 21st-century American male musicians