Colonel Thomas Rotondi Jr. retired from the United States Army in 2011, finishing a distinguished 34-year military career as the eighth Leader and Commander of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, D.C. Originally from Chicago Heights, Illinois, Colonel Rotondi holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California. While at Millikin University, Colonel Rotondi was active in Phi Mu Alpha and was selected for Pi Kappa Lambda Honorary Music Fraternity.

Colonel Rotondi joined the United States Army as a trumpet player in 1977. He received his commission in 1982 through Officer Candidate School, where he was an honor graduate. Prior to his assignment in Washington, DC, Colonel Rotondi held multiple assignments including staff conductor and administrative intern, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth, Texas (as part of the Army’s “Training with Industry” program); Commander/Conductor, United States Continental Army Band, Fort Monroe, Virginia; Commander/Conductor, United States Army, Europe, Band and Chorus, Heidelberg, Germany; and Commander/Conductor of the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, New York.

Colonel Rotondi performed at numerous national events including the State Funeral for President Gerald R. Ford and the first inauguration for President Barack Obama. Colonel Rotondi has also conducted throughout Europe as well as Japan and China. He holds the distinction of being the first United States military band officer to conduct the Peoples Liberation Army Band in Beijing, China.

Colonel Rotondi studied conducting with Eiji Oue, Conductor Laureate of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, and with John Giordano, Conductor Emeritus of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. He twice attended the Conductor’s Seminar at the Tanglewood Music Center (summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra) where the faculty included Seiji Ozawa, Maurice Abravanel, and Gustav Meier.

Colonel Rotondi was elected to membership into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 2005, was awarded the Alumni Merit Award from Millikin University in 2007 and was inducted into the Bloom Township High School Hall of Fame in 2010.

Besides serving as the Chair of the Advisory Council for the Association of Concert Bands, Colonel Rotondi also serves as the Advisor to the Director for the Music At The Summit Adult Band Institute in Breckenridge, Colorado and continues to serve on the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Colonel George S. Howard Award Committee.

Colonel Rotondi currently resides in Kingsport, Tennessee, where he remains active as a freelance conductor, musical consultant, and clinician.