Claudio S. Grafulla

Claudio S. Grafulla (1812–1880) was a composer in the United States during the 19th Century, most noted for martial music for regimental bands during the early days of the American Civil War. Biography Grafulla was born on October 31, 1812 on Menorca, an island off the coast of Spain that was occupied by the British after the Napoleonic Wars. At the age of 28, he emigrated to the United States, where he became a French horn player in Napier Lothian’s New York Brass Band in New York City. This band was attached to the 7th Regiment of the New York National Guard, which was honored in 1922 by John Philip Sousa’s The Gallant Seventh march. In 1860, he added woodwinds to a reorganized band and continued to serve as its director until his death at New York on December 2, 1880. Grafulla was a quiet, unassuming man who never married; his whole life centered on his music. His remarkable technical and musical skills allowed him to become well known as a composer, often writing music to order, and as an arranger. As a director of the 7th Regiment Band, his fame spread widely. Grafulla was a member of William Magear “Boss” Tweed’s exclusive Americus Club. He performed regularly at Americus Clu