Home » Blog » Niess ’20 Wins Navy Band Trumpet Audition

Niess ’20 Wins Navy Band Trumpet Audition

Caeley Niess ’20 recently won the trumpet audition with the United States Navy Band. Niess is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Trumpet) and studies with Assistant Professor of Trumpet Mary Elizabeth Bowden, M.A.

Only a small percentage of musicians in the world can pass a D.C. military audition, which includes making it through a 12-hour day with three rounds of intense playing and keeping your head together.

D.C. military band auditions of the last few years have become even more competitive than those of the major orchestras because of the job security for life that comes with it. It is likely Niess advanced further than many top doctoral students from major conservatories and music schools throughout the country.

About the Navy Band

Since its inception in 1925, the Navy Band has been entertaining audiences and supporting the Navy with some of the best musicians in the country. From national concert tours to presidential inaugurals to memorial services at Arlington National Cemetery, the Navy Band proudly represents the men and women of the largest, most versatile, most capable naval force on the planet today: America’s Navy. Visit www.navyband.navy.mil/explore.html to learn more about the Navy Band.

Photo by Suzette Niess Photography

Categories: , , , , ,

Recent News

Shenandoah University exercise science major Katerina Deising '27 sitting on a wall in Prague, Czechia, with the city's rooftops behind her, during the summer of 2026, when she interned at the European Box Lacrosse Championships held in the city.

Box Lacrosse Tournament in Czechia Provides Invaluable Internship Experience for Shenandoah Student

Exercise Science Major Katerina Deising ’27 Already Using What She Learned

Group photo of students enrolled in the SU and HCT joint program.

Shenandoah University, Henan College Of Transportation Welcome New Cohort To Joint EIET Program

SU, HCT celebrated 140 newly admitted students to the three-year program

Administrators from Yangtze Normal University and Shenandoah University sit at a dais in front of a room full of students.

Shenandoah University, Yangtze Normal University Welcome Inaugural Class For Dual-Degree Programs

The universities announced a landmark partnership in April 2026 that established dual-degree bachelor’s degrees in engineering physics and computer engineering

Women+ on the Edge of Democracy

Acting Program Joins Nationwide ‘Women+ on the Edge of Democracy’ Initiative with Oct. 27 Reading

Acting students present free readings of newly commissioned plays as part of a national initiative exploring democracy and civic dialogue

Shenandoah University School of Pharmacy Professor Jennifer Bryant, Ph.D., dressed in a sleeveless light blue top and navy skirt, does a pull-up on a bar across her office door at Shenandoah's Health Professions Building.

Shenandoah Pharmacy Professor Makes Second ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Appearance

Dr. Jennifer Bryant also brings her ninja training to work with her

Monthly Archives