Francesco Maria Scala

Francesco Maria Scala (1819 – 18 April 1903) also known as Francis M. Scala, was an Italian-born naturalized American military band director and musician. He was the first and one of the most important and influential directors of the United States Marine Band. He defined the instrumental organization that the band maintains, he was an extremely prolific musician and composer, and improved and enlarged the repertoire of the ensemble. It is thought that under his direction the USMC Band executed for the first time "The Gendarmes' Duet" from Act II of the revision in 1867 of the Jacques Offenbach opera Geneviève de Brabant, which debuted in Paris in 1859. This melody is now known as the Marines' Hymn.

Francesco Maria Scala

Francesco Maria Scala (1819 – 18 April 1903) also known as Francis M. Scala, was an Italian-born naturalized American military band director and musician. He was the first and one of the most important and influential directors of the United States Marine Band. He defined the instrumental organization that the band maintains, he was an extremely prolific musician and composer, and improved and enlarged the repertoire of the ensemble. It is thought that under his direction the USMC Band executed for the first time "The Gendarmes' Duet" from Act II of the revision in 1867 of the Jacques Offenbach opera Geneviève de Brabant, which debuted in Paris in 1859. This melody is now known as the Marines' Hymn.