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Technical Sergeant David B Halperin

Technical Sergeant David B. Halperin joined the United States Air Force Academy Band in January 2021. He currently performs on clarinet with Rockies Clarinets, Concert Band, and Marching Band.

A native of Highland Park, Illinois, TSgt Halperin began his Air Force career in 2011 and was stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA and Ramstein Air Base, Germany. While there, he was able to perform chamber music for the general public, ambassadors, and heads of state across Europe and Africa in countries such as Angola, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Italy, Latvia, Niger, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Tanzania, United Kingdom, and Ukraine, where he was also a soloist on multiple occasions with their National Presidential Orchestra. Other notable Air Force performances include the 2012 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 2022 Tournament of Roses Parade, and the 2013 Inaugural Parade for President Barack Obama. In addition to his official duties, Sergeant Halperin is the Second Clarinet with the Fort Collins Symphony and plays regularly with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.

Prior to enlisting in the Air Force, Technical Sergeant Halperin was a freelance clarinetist throughout the Chicagoland area and has performed with the Symphony Orchestras of Milwaukee, Jacksonville, Virginia, Richmond (VA), and New Mexico, as well as the New World Symphony in Miami. He received fellowships to the Aspen Musical Festival and School and the Brevard Music Center, attended the Aria International Summer Academy, the Las Vegas and Hot Springs Music Festivals, and was co-Principal Clarinet with the Ohio Light Opera.

TSgt Halperin holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Music from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. He includes among his teachers Steve Cohen, J. Lawrie Bloom, J. David Harris, Burt Hara, Bil Jackson, and Sunshine Simmons.

EDUCATION:
2003 High School Diploma, Highland Park High School, Highland Park, IL
2007 Bachelor of Music, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
2009 Master of Music, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
2016 Airman Leadership School, Kapaun AS, Germany
2021 Non-commissioned Officer Academy, Peterson SFB, CO

ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Oct 2011 – Dec 2011, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, TX
2. Dec 2011 – Jun 2015, USAF Heritage of America Band, Langley AFB, VA
3. Jun 2015 – Jan 2021, USAF in Europe Band, Ramstein AB, Germany
4. Jan 2021 – Present, USAF Academy Band, Peterson SFB, CO

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
AF Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
AF Achievement Medal
AF Organizational Excellence Award
AF Good Conduct Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2012 Airman of the Year, USAF Heritage of America Band
2019 Musician of the Quarter, Second Quarter, USAF in Europe Band

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Airman First Class – 18 Oct 2011
Senior Airman – 18 Feb 2014
Staff Sergeant – 1 Dec 2016
Technical Sergeant – 16 Jan 2021