ISLAS, Tara

Tara Islas, a native of Mobile, Alabama, recently retired as hornist and music arranger with The United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. During her more than 21 years in the band, she has performed more than 4,000 ceremonies before the highest-ranking officials, including the President and Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She also performs military honors for Air Force members and their families at Arlington National Cemetery.
She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Horn Performance from The Florida State University and a Master of Music Degree in Horn Performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. During her undergraduate studies, she was the winner of the Southeast Horn Workshop Solo Competitions in 1987 as well as the CCM Concerto Competition in 1991. During the summers, she attended the Brevard Music Center, the Aspen Music Festival, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and the National Orchestral Institute. Her teachers have included Tony Cecere, William Capps, Michael Hatfield, William Purvis, and David Wakefield.