The Military Aviation Band and Fanfares are permanent ensembles intended to participate in the most important celebrations during public events. The Military Aviation Band is based in Rome, whilst the Fanfare of the 1st Air Region and that of the Air Force Command Schools/3rd Air Region are respectively in Milan and Bari.
The story
The Italian Air Force Band, established on 1st July 1937, was governed by the “Regulations for the Operation of the Royal Air Force Musical Corps”, derived from Royal Decree of 19th November 1936.
Rome's Cavour Barracks, the first in Italy to house an aviation unit at the beginning of the century, was its first home. There, in the presence of Maestro Pietro Mascagni, the Band gave its first solemn concert reserved for the authorities and high-ranking officers of the newly formed Air Force.
On 20 September of the same year, with a concert at the EIAR (Italian Broadcasting Authority), the Band officially presented itself to the general public and began its concert and ceremonial activities. For the occasion, a programme was performed featuring music by Mascagni, Bach, Puccini, Verdi, Mendelssohn and Wagner.
The first conductor who led it was Alberto Di Miniello, a composition student of Ottorino Respighi, who in 1935 won the competition for director of the The Royal Air Force Musical Corps. Yours is the March of the Air Force.
In those years, the climate of excitement and interest surrounding the "Arma Azzurra" (the Italian Air Force), the youngest, most modern, and innovative Italian Armed Force, greatly favoured the Band's deployment both in Italy and abroad. Between 1938 and 1940, there were numerous foreign tours: Bulgaria, Spain, Belgium, and Germany, among many others.
Disbanded as a result of wartime events, the Band was subsequently reconstituted in 1944 and, from December of the same year, resumed its intensive concert activities: Juliard School in New York, Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires, Musikhalle in Hamburg, Conservatoire de la Ville in Luxembourg, Ankara, Moscow.
Among its institutional duties, the Band provides ceremonial service at the Quirinal Palace, alternating with other military musical ensembles, and participates in the most significant ceremonies of the Armed Forces, joint forces, and NATO.
The current staff, established by state law, consists of 102 orchestral musicians, an archivist, the Maestro Director and the Maestro Deputy Director. The Band is under the disciplinary and administrative authority of COMAER – Comando Aeronautica Militare Roma, while its deployment is arranged by the Air Force Staff – 5th Department “Communication”.
How to request the intervention of the Air Force Band
The Italian Air Force Band can also be requested by bodies and/or institutions external to the Armed Force.
The interested Body/Institution must submit a request for intervention, with ample notice prior to the scheduled performance date, to the following address:AERONAUTICA MILITARE – Air Staff 5th Department “Communication” – Viale dell’Università, 4 – 00185 ROME (the application may be sent in advance by email to: stataereo.com@aeronautica.difesa.it).
Check technical feasibility
Having received the request, the Rome Air Force Command – Garrison and Ceremonial Office, to which the Band reports, will verify the feasibility of the request, taking into consideration technical, logistical, accommodation requirements when necessary, and catering where foreseen.
The administrative costs borne by the requesting Body or Institution will also be estimated.
The technical-organisational evaluations will be forwarded to the Air Staff 5th Department “Communication” which will arrange the deployment of the musical ensemble.
Notification of Grant
Should the request for the Military Air Force Band's participation be approved, the requesting bodies/institutions will be responsible for carrying out all promotional activities and managing the event in its entirety. It should be noted that, for institutional reasons, the Armed Force reserves the right to withdraw the Band's participation from any event, at any time, without this entitling the requesting body/institution to make any claims and/or requests for compensation of any kind.
