Leonard Falcone | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Leonardo Vincenzo Falcone |
| Born | April 5, 1899 Roseto Valfortore, Italy |
| Died | May 2, 1985 (aged 86) Dimondale, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Band director, conductor, music arranger, educator, musician |
| Years active | 1927-1985 |
Leonard Vincent Falcone (Fal-CONE-ee) (5 April 1899 – May 2, 1985) was an Italian-American musician, conductor, arranger, lecturer, and educator. He was well known as a virtuoso on the baritone horn, having extensively performed, written, and educated on the instrument. Falcone was best known as Director of Bands at Michigan State University from 1927 through 1967. During Falcone's tenure, the Spartan Marching Band expanded from a small ROTC auxiliary band to a large nationally known Big Ten marching band. Scholarship endowments at MSU and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp were established in his honor, as was the Leonard Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Festival.