Picture above: Master Sergeant Busso and Sergeant Major Bobenrieth, shown in rehearsal the day before the State Dinner.
Pictures left/right: Pictured in the Entrance Hall of The White House performing.
The United States military’s two accordionists were featured performers during the April 24 State Dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron at The White House in Washington, DC.
At the start of the evening, Sergeant Major Manny Bobenrieth and the U.S. Army Strings greeted guests in the East Portico, while Master Sergeant Frank Busso Jr. and the Air Force Strings entertained arriving guests at the Entrance to the East Wing.
After enjoying French-inspired cuisine in the State Dining Room, guests moved to the East Room for a concert. The show began with performances by acclaimed Washington National Opera vocalists and the U.S. Army Chorus. The finale of the concert was a special arrangement of Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose” by Sergeant Major Bobenrieth.
This piece opened up with a warm introduction for solo accordion played by Sergeant Major Bobenrieth, added U.S. Army Chorus vocalists and instrumentalists from both the Army & Air Force Strings, and concluded with a passage for solo voice and solo accordion played by Master Sergeant Busso.
Immediately following the concert, Sergeant Major Bobenrieth and Master Sergeant Busso led their respective ensembles once again as they bid final farewells to guests at the East Wing.
Manny Bobenrieth, a native of Concepcion, Chile, joined the U.S. Army Strings in 1986 and became its group leader in 2004. Outside of the military, he performs as a freelance musician in the greater Washington, DC area and offers private instruction in his Potomac, MD studio. Manny also serves on the board of directors of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA).
Frank Busso Jr., from Staten Island, NY, became The U.S. Air Force Band’s accordionist in 2005 and is also Section Chief of Live Production for the organization. While off duty, he runs the Busso Music School in Alexandria, VA and serves as director of the Ernest Deffner Affiliates. Frank has served on the AAA board of directors since 2007.
