The U.S. Army Strings celebrated their 60th Anniversary at Brucker Hall, Ft. Myer, VA on June 26, 2010. The U.S. Army Strolling Strings is one of the most requested musical ensembles and has played for every commander-in-chief since President Dwight Eisenhower.
Sgt. Maj. Manuel Bobenrieth, accordionist with the Army Strings was born in Concepcion, Chile, and began studyingthe accordion at age five. He studied at Montgomery College and received a Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance
from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In his off-duty hours, the Manny Bobenrieth Ensemble has been featured at Blues Alley Jazz Club, The Argentinean Embassy, The World Bank, The Kennedy Center, and others.
His CD “Tangata” has been heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” In April 2004 he became the Group Leader of The U.S. Army Strings. Manny is also an AAA Board Member.
The U.S. Army Strings is one of the premier elements of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC. The Army Strings provides a musical backdrop for many of the country’s most notable events. Its mission is to serve as a musical ambassador for high-level military and government events at home and abroad as well as in concert for public audiences. This versatile ensemble of 20 world-class musicians performs as the Strolling Strings, The U.S. Army Orchestra, and various mixed small chamber ensembles and combos.
The U.S. Army Strolling Strings is one of the most requested musical ensembles by our nation’s military leadership. Since its inception during the Eisenhower administration, the group has provided musical entertainment at the White House for every president. Missions include performing for the Department of Defense, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, kings and queens, and heads of state from countries worldwide.
The Strolling Strings offers audiences the unique perspective of being amongst the musicians who elegantly move about the venue playing their instruments. A distinctly unique member of its instrumentation, the ensemble boasts an accordion, which adds rich color and texture to the group’s sound. The Strolling Strings offers a wide array of memorized repertoire, including patriotic, classical, international, jazz, Broadway, bluegrass, and exclusive music arrangements for special guests and events. Chamber music is a core element of The U.S. Army Strings’ mission. String quartets provide a backdrop for significant official functions as well as public performances.
Duos, trios, quartets, and mixed chamber ensembles perform in venues throughout the year, including Trinity Presbyterian Church in Herndon, the Lyceum in Alexandria, the Mclean Community Center, and Brucker Hall at Fort Myer—all in Virginia. The U.S. Army Strings joins with instrumentalists from other elements of The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” to form The U.S. Army Orchestra. This group performs works from a diverse repertoire at some of the nation’s finest venues, including the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Lincoln Center in New York City, the Music Center at Strathmore, in Bethesda, Maryland, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland, College Park, and the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center in Alexandria, Virginia.
They will perform on Thursday, August 12, 7:30 PM on the Washington-Lee Summer Concert Series at Washington-Lee High School Auditorium, 1301 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia and Friday, August 13th, 8 PM on “Sunsets with a Soundtrack” on the West Steps of the U.S. Capitol, Washington. These performances are free.
For further information: mboben@comcast.net
