The United States Naval Forces Europe Band (NAVEUR Band) is the musical component of the

United States Naval Forces Europe - Naval Forces Africa United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

, a subordinate command of the

United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven Unified Combatant Command, unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territori ...

and

United States Africa Command The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for ...

. It acts as the '' de facto'' American musical unit for

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. As a

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 ...

band, it is part of 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 ...

. Currently stationed in at Naval Support Activity in

Naples, Italy Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, it operates under the direct control and supervision of the Commander of NAVEUR.

History

Naval music has had a long history in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

as well as

that dates back to the 1950s. The current NAVEUR Band traces back to two separate naval bands in the continent, the Allied Forces Southern Europe Band (CINCSOUTH Band) and the Sixth Fleet Band, both operating from

CINCSOUTH Band

The CINCSOUTH Band was formed in the 1950s in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

from a small contingent of naval musicians who served under the command of Naval Forces Eastern Atlantic. Later in the decade, the band was relocated to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and permanently stationed there. In 1974, the CINCSOUTH Band was expanded to included military musicians from countries such as

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

and

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

to better reflect the diversity of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

. In 1997 and 2002 respectively, it was expanded further to include musicians from the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

and the

Corps of Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a company strength sub-unit to the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), landing craft cr ...

. In 2004, the band was redesignated as the Allied Forces Band Naples.

Sixth Fleet Band

Until 1958, the newly established Sixth Fleet never maintained a unit band and constantly carried various naval bands from the U.S. In the Spring of that year, the '' USS Des Moines'' established a unit band which would be based at

Villefranche-sur-Mer Villefranche-sur-Mer (, ; ; ) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera and is located southwest of the Principality of Monaco, which is just west of the French-Italian ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Following the withdrawal of France from the military command of NATO in 1967, the band changed its permanent base to

Gaeta Gaeta (; ; Southern Latian dialect, Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a seaside resort in the province of Latina in Lazio, Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The city has played ...

in central Italy. The band continued to serve on board ships of the Sixth Fleet until the early 1970s, when it moved

San Pietro a Patierno San Pietro a Patierno is a suburb of Naples, the chief city in Campania, Italy. Geography It is one of the largest suburbs of Naples and is relatively lightly populated compared to surrounding areas, with around 20,000 residents. The district ...

, a suburb of Naples.

Merger

In 2004, the Sixth Fleet was merged into the staff of Commander of NAVEUR, effectively making the two bands operate under the same command structure. In May 2006, Admiral Henry G. Ulrich III, requested that the two bands are combined to create a singular band that would represent the entire naval command. The request was approved the following month with a layout of the size, mission and jurisdiction being established. As a result of a restructuring of Fleet Band Activities (FBA) in 2012, the NAVEUR was reduced to 52 members (50 enlisted musicians and two officers).

Notable performances

*1972 – Cultural Olympics in

Munich, Germany Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

*2009 –

Bulgarian Armed Forces Day Bulgarian Armed Forces Day (), also known as the Day of Bravery () or the Day of Bravery and Holiday of the Bulgarian Army () is a national holiday celebrated annually on May 6, commemorating the Bulgarian Armed Forces. The event is marked by mili ...

Sofia, Bulgaria Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

*2010 –

Moscow Victory Day Parade The Moscow Victory Day Parade () is an annual military parade of the Russian Armed Forces on Moscow's Red Square on 9 May during the Victory Day celebrations. The most important parade of those being held on 9 May is the one held on Moscow's Red ...

commemorating the 65th anniversary of the

German surrender German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ger ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

*2016 – Utah Beach Memorial Ceremony *2017 –

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and international military bands, and artistic performance teams on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Ca ...

*2018 – Funeral service for sailor Julius Pieper at the Normandy American Cemetery *2019 – Magdeburg Musikparade

Mission

The 50 members of the NAVEUR Band serve the mission of supporting NAVEUR and the personnel of the

Sixth Fleet The Sixth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy operating as part of United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa. The Sixth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. The officially stated mission of the Sixt ...

at official military ceremonies such as ship arrivals and departures, change of command ceremonies, and official receptions. It also serves to enhance the ''

esprit de corps Morale ( , ) is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value judgment of the willpower ...

'' of all United States Naval personnel and naval personnel of allied countries on the

European mainland Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by so ...

. Like the bands of the other European commands in the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

and

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

, the NAVEUR Band is involved in improving

United States–European Union relations United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

, often acting as a symbolic ambassador for the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The repertoire of the band is very diverse, having been known to cover all types of music. Other than the significant protocol music that the band performs (

ruffles and flourishes Ruffles and flourishes are preceding fanfare for honors music, ceremonial music for distinguished people. By country Israel In the Israeli Defense Forces, ruffles and flourishes are sounded as a guard of honor presents arms to signify the hono ...

, '' Hands Across the Sea'', ''Admirals March'' and ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Z ...

'' being common pieces), the band also has been known to perform to

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

and

European classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

, as well as

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

from the two regions.

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

and

swing music Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. Swing bands usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement ...

are also notable examples of the band's musical diversity. In its travels, the band has performed throughout the continent, stopping in countries such as

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. It also travels outside Europe and performs in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n countries such as

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. In all, the band reaches a combined audience of more than 60 million people spanning the two continents.

Composition

Uniquely, the NAVEUR Band is composed of both active duty Navy and

(USMC) musicians, alongside by foreign musicians from the European countries such as the

and Italian services such as the

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

to make the band serve also as a musical support unit for all events involving the

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental transnational military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermat ...

(NATO). These musicians are divided into different performing units, each of which serve to fulfill a specific ceremony at any request. The following is a list of ensembles in the NAVEUR Band: *

Wind Ensemble A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...

(50 musicians) *Ceremonial Band (18–50 musicians) *

Marching Band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

(22–50 musicians) *

Brass Quintet A brass quintet is a five-piece musical ensemble composed of brass instruments. The instrumentation for a brass quintet typically includes two trumpets or cornets, one French horn, one trombone or euphonium/baritone horn, and one tuba or bass tro ...

(5 musicians) *Woodwind Quintet (5 musicians) *

Big Band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

(6–8 musicians) *Jazz Ensemble (18–22 musicians) *

Pop Music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

Ensemble (18–22 musicians) *

Rock Band ''Rock Band'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series, the main ''Rock Band'' games have players use game controllers mod ...

(7 musicians) *Protocol Combo (3–6 musicians) The band also maintains the following solo roles: *

Bugler The bugle is a simple signaling brass instrument with a wide conical bore. It normally has no valves or other pitch-altering devices, and is thus limited to its natural harmonic notes, and pitch is controlled entirely by varying the air and ...

Vocalist Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

Pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

The marching band and the ceremonial band are the flagship units of the NAVEUR Band, supporting military ceremonies by leading the formation in parades and rendering honors (the former is done by the marching band).

Gallery

File:UnitUS Parade.jpg, The band during the

Parade in

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

, May 2009 File:U.S. Sailors with the U.S. Naval Forces Europe Band perform during the Navy Ball in honor of the 239th anniversary of the Navy in Naples, Italy, Oct. 18, 2014 141018-N-EZ054-067.jpg, File:U.S. Naval Forces Europe Band Director Lt. David Latour, left, gives the oath of re-enlistment to Musician 3rd Class Margaret Pedlow after the band rehearsed their segment of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 120731-N-VT117-1545.jpg, File:GySgt Ben Becker-CNE Band.jpeg, File:From left, U.S. Navy Lt. David Latour, the U.S. Naval Forces Europe Band director; David Wilson, the lord lieutenant and lord provost of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland; and U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Robert 120730-N-VT117-879.jpg,

References

External links

Official WebsiteU.S. Naval Forces Europe Band Prepares for Edinburgh 2017
{{United States military bands, state=collapsed Wind bands Musical groups established in 2006 Bands of the United States Navy 2006 establishments in the United States Military bands located outside their country of origin