Sergeant First Class Jennifer Kempe is originally from Champaign, Illinois. She received her Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the University of Illinois, and her Master of Music degree from Western Michigan University. Prior to joining the U.S. Army Field Band, Sgt. 1st Class Kempe performed as Principal Horn of the Battle Creek Symphony and 2nd Horn of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with numerous ensembles throughout the Midwest, including the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Tallgrass Brass Band, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, and The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre Pit Orchestra. Sgt. 1st Class Kempe has attended music festivals such as the Round Top Festival Institute, Rafael Méndez Brass Institute, and Le Domaine Forget International Academy of Music and Dance. Sgt. 1st Class Kempe has taught students of all ages, maintaining a private horn studio and teaching brass lessons in local schools in the Quad City area. Her primary teachers include Bernhard Scully and Lin Foulk.
The Concert Band, the oldest and largest of The U.S. Army Field Band’s five ensembles, has performed for over 100 million people worldwide since its founding in 1946. This elite 65-member group has toured across all 50 states and 25 countries, performing in venues ranging from the Berlin Philharmonie and Carnegie Hall to state fairs and high school gyms. Often joined by the Soldiers’ Chorus, the band presents marches, overtures, popular and patriotic music, and solos. They’ve collaborated with renowned orchestras like the Boston Pops and Detroit Symphony and participated in presidential inaugurations and diplomatic events, embodying American pride and professionalism in every performance.