Sergeant First Class Ian Bowling, is originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He holds Master of Music degrees in Voice Performance and Vocal Pedagogy from The Boston Conservatory, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and a Performance Certificate from Shenandoah Conservatory. He has performed roles with Boston Opera Collaborative, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and an Oberlin Conservatory program in Arezzo, Italy. Opera roles include Don Inigo Gomez in “L’heure Espagnole,” Leporello in “Don Giovanni,” #8 in “Transformations,” Colline in “La Boheme,” Count Ceprano in “Rigoletto,” Don Magnifico in “La Cenerentola” and Tarquinius in “The Rape of Lucretia.” Sgt. 1st Class Bowling joined the U.S. Army Field Band in 2014, and is a proud member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.
The Soldiers’ Chorus, founded in 1957, is the vocal complement of The United States Army Field Band of Washington, DC. The 24-member mixed choral ensemble travels throughout the nation and abroad, performing as a separate component and in joint concerts with the Concert Band of The Musical Ambassadors of the Army. The chorus has performed in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, India, the Far East, and throughout Europe, entertaining audiences of all ages.
The immense talent of Soldiers’ Chorus personnel provide the ensemble with unique flexibility, and in addition to presenting selections from the vast choral repertoire, each member of the ensemble is an accomplished soloist in their own right. Performances often include the music of Broadway, barbershop quartet, Americana, as well as Pop, Rock, and R&B. Critics have acclaimed recent appearances with the Boston Pops, the Cincinnati Pops, and the Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Nashville, and National symphony orchestras, giving the chorus a nationwide reputation for musical excellence and inspiring patriotism.
Other notable performances include four World Fairs, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Kennedy Center Honors Programs, the rededication of the Statue of Liberty, the 100th anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park, PBS’s annual National Memorial Day Concert, and the state funerals of Presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter.