A Colorado State University music alum and trumpet player, Staff Sgt. Robert Bonner, performed in the Jan. 20 inauguration ceremony in “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band.
The band provided music for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol; the band performed “Hail to the Chief” to honor President Biden, in addition to accompanying Lady Gaga on the national anthem.
Staff Sgt. Robert Bonner
Trumpeter/cornetist Staff Sgt. Robert Bonner of Payne Springs, Texas, joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in October 2015.
Bonner began his musical instruction on trumpet at age 11. After graduating in 2006 from Eustace High School in Eustace, Texas, he earned his bachelor of music in music education from Texas Tech University in Lubbock in 2010. He earned a master’s in music performance in 2014 from CSU. His notable teachers were Justin Bartels of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Ray Mase of the Aspen Music Festival, Jeffrey Meyer and Max Matzen.
Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Bonner performed with the Colorado and Fort Collins Symphony Orchestras, the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis, the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, and the National Orchestral Institute Orchestra in College Park, Maryland.
Bonner performs with the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House, in the Washington, D.C., area, and across the country during the band’s annual concert tour. In addition to his musical duties, he also serves as the band’s antiterrorism officer.
The Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Founded in 1798, the band has performed for every U.S. president since John Adams. Known as “The President’s Own” since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the Marine Band’s mission is to provide music for the president of the United States and the commandant of the Marine Corps.
