Barber wrote his Commando March shortly after being enlisted in the United States Army during the Second World War. The work was completed in February 1943 and was premiered on May 23 of that year by the Army Air Force Tactical Training Command Band in Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, most likely with the composer conducting. Commando March enjoyed immediate success as the Goldman Band played the work throughout the summer of 1943, leading to a request by Serge Koussevitzky for Barber to adapt it for orchestra. The rapid pace of composition, premiere, achieving popular success and orchestral adaptation in the same calendar year can be attributed to Barber’s high status as one of the most widely accepted American composers of his time. Commando March endures as a cornerstone work for wind band, standing as the singular, yet beloved contribution to the band genre from a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning icon of American music.

Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was an American composer known for his emotive and lyrical compositions. Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Barber gained early recognition with his Adagio for Strings. He won two Pulitzer Prizes for his opera “Vanessa” and the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. Barber’s music, characterized by its expressive melodies, remains influential in 20th-century classical repertoire.

Program note and composer biography researched and compiled by Elisabeth Jackson