Sousa, John Philip

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Sousa, John Philip (b Washington D.C., 1854; d Reading, Penn., 1932). Amer. composer and bandmaster. As youth played vn. in th. orchs. Cond., US Marine Corps band 1880–92. Formed own military band 1892 which became very popular and toured Europe 4 times between 1900 and 1905 and the world in 1910–11. It was a victim of the 1931 Depression. Best known for his superb marches, of which he comp. nearly 100, among them Semper Fidelis (1888), The Washington Post (1889), Liberty Bell (1893), King Cotton (1895), The Stars and Stripes Forever (1896), El Capitán (1896), Hands across the Sea (1899), and many more. Also wrote several operettas, incl. The Queen of Hearts (1885) and El Capitán (1895).

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