Arnald Gabriel, a former Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force Band, United States Air Force Symphony Orchestra, and Singing Sergeants, conducted bands as a profession.
He had a lifelong passion for music, which began when he was 10 years old. He went on to earn Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College.
My old commander. Colonel Arnald Gabriel, Commander USAF Bands. Musician you say? His military career started as a machine gunner 29th Inf Div in WW II. 2 bronze stars and CIB on and after Omaha Beach. He’ll be 100 this year. pic.twitter.com/Ft7XCFbifU
— Steve Whitten (@SteveWhitt43612) February 18, 2025
After serving as a machine gunner in the U.S. Army during World War II, he joined the Air Force and became a band conductor.
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He conducted the U.S. Air Force Band from 1964 to 1985. Since his retirement from the Air Force, he has continued to guest-conduct various orchestras and bands. In 2025, he fulfilled a contract he made decades earlier to conduct the Wheaton Municipal Band on his 100th birthday.
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