John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa (1854 to 1932) was an American composer and conductor from Washington, D.C., who spent his career writing military marches and leading bands. He earned the nickname 'The March King' and composed some of the most recognized marches in American history, including 'The Stars and Stripes Forever' and 'Semper Fidelis'. His music sits squarely in the American march tradition of the late Romantic era.