Philip Egner

Philip Egner
Egner pictured in 1928 at the age of 58.
Born	April 17, 1870 New York, New York, United States
Died	February 3, 1956(1956-02-03) (aged 85)
Buried at	West Point Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	U.S. Army
Years of service	1898–1901 1909–1934
Rank	Captain
Unit	17th Infantry Regiment U.S. Military Academy
Commands held	West Point Band
Awards	Spanish Campaign Medal
Spouse(s)	Anna Habsen

Philip Egner (April 17, 1870 – February 3, 1956) was a U.S. military bandmaster who served as longtime director of the U.S. Army's West Point Band.

As a child, Egner was a musical prodigy. During his early career he performed with the Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic, but left civilian life to join the U.S. Army at the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, spending three years in the Philippines as bandmaster of the 17th Infantry Regiment. He would later be appointed band director at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and is best remembered for composing "On, Brave Old Army Team", West Point's fight song.

Egner was born in New York City to German immigrants Philippe and Emma Egner and grew-up in East Orange, New Jersey. His father was a music teacher and, by age six, the younger Egner had mastered the violin; he was described by one account as a "child prodigy". Egner went on to learn additional instruments and, by age 16, was the leader of his own orchestra in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Early in Egner's career he performed as a cellist with the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. In 1898, on the outbreak of war with Spain, Egner joined the United States Army and was appointed bandmaster of the 17th Infantry Regiment. He spent the next three years in the Philippines.

Returning to the United States, Egner briefly toured the U.S. as an instrumentalist in the vaudevillian performances of Lillian Russell and the minstrel shows of Primrose and West. He later served as director of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company Band, and for six years led the band of New York's Hebrew Orphans Asylum (HOA), a Jewish orphanage organized and disciplined along military lines. His HOA band established a reputation as the "best boys' band in the city" and his work with the ensemble has been credited with leading to his appointment as bandmaster at West Point, a post he held from 1909 to his retirement in 1934.