Staff Sergeant Luis Rosa is a saxophonist with the United States Air Force Band of the Pacific.
Sergeant Rosa, a native of Canovanas, Puerto Rico, attended the Puerto Rico's Conservatory of Music after graduating from high school. He then received a scholarship to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Music from the Berklee College of Music and a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory, both located in Boston, Massachusetts. While at the New England Conservatory, Sergeant Rosa performed for the Panama Jazz Festival and on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Sergeant Rosa's principal teachers include Jerry Bergonzi, Jackie Byard, Andy McGhee, Danilo Pérez, Bob Moses, Cecil McBee and Ken Schaphorst. He has been coached by or performed in master classes for Dave Douglas, Eddie Gómez, Dave Holland, John Hollenbeck, Joe Lovano, Branford Marsalis, Steve Nelson and David Sánchez among others.
Sergeant Rosa has appeared at the Mediawave Festival in Hungary, the Berklee Performance Center, and the Beantown Jazz Festival in Massachusetts, and has performed with Billy Cobham, Eddie Gómez, Dave Holland, John Hollenbeck, Roscoe Mitchell, Bob Moses, Danilo Pérez, David Sanchez, Eddie Brookshire, Allen Vizzutti, the Pan-American Big Band, and the NEC Jazz Orchestra, among others.
From 2007 to 2011 Sergeant Rosa was faculty at the Jazz & Caribbean Music department at the Puerto Rico's Conservatory of Music where he taught Jazz Arranging courses, Jazz Improvisation seminars, Advanced Latin Jazz Combos and he arranged and conducted the Panamerican Jazz Ensemble and the CMPR Jazz Orchestra.
Sergeant Rosa also has television/movie credits to his name, including "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" (2004) and can be heard on several recordings, including Danilo Perez' "Panama Suite" (2007), Rakalam Bob Moses' "Father's Day B'Hash" (2009), Felipe Fournier's "Menos es Mas" (2011), and Henry Cole's "Roots before Branches" (2011).
Sergeant Rosa enlisted in the Air Force in 2011. He has deployed with the USAF AFCENT Band in 2013/2014 with Band of Flight's Rock Band "Systems Go". During their deployment, Sergeant Rosa traveled more than 12,000 miles and performed in nine countries.
In his spare time, Sergeant Rosa enjoys running, cycling and plinking. He is also an avid astronomer and has been a member of the Miami Valley Astronomical Society and San Antonio Astronomical Association.
EDUCATION:
1999 Bachelor of Music - Professional Music, Berklee College of Music, Boston MA
2007 Master of Music - Jazz Performance, New England Conservatory, Boston MA
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Aug 2011 - Jul 2016 Band of Flight, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2. Aug 2016 - Jul 2019 Band of the West, Lackland AFB, TX
3. Aug 2019 - Present, Air Force Band of the Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, HI
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Unit Excellence Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Air Force Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2014 Band of Flight Airman of the Quarter (1st Quarter & 3rd Quarter), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2014 AFBF Paul Shartle Award - Musician of the Quarter (1st Quarter), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2013 Band of Flight Airman of the Year, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2013 Band of Flight Airman of the Quarter (4th Quarter), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2012 AFBF Paul Shartle Award - Musician of the Quarter (2nd Quarter), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2011 AFBF Paul Shartle Award - Musician of the Quarter (4th Quarter), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION:
Staff Sergeant - September 2017