Warrant Officer Class 1 Robert Ghigi - Bandmaster

Born and brought up in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Mr Ghigi's early musical experiences were learning the clarinet from the age of eight. He joined the regular Army in October 1977 at the Junior Leaders' Regiment in Bovington, Dorset. In August 1978 he was sent to the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, for an intense year long pupils' course where he gained a coveted instrumental prize, the Cousins Memorial Certificate.

Upon graduation in August 1979 Mr Ghigi joined the Staff Band of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps based in Deepcut, Surrey. With them he travelled the world extensively including trips to Germany, Cyprus, Gibraltar and Hong Kong and even served as a Medical Assistant during the 1991 Gulf War on Operation Granby. With the formation of the Royal Logistic Corps in 1993, he became a founder member of the RLC Staff Band. In 1994 he left the regular Army and joined the AMS Band a year later, quickly climbing to the rank of WOII (Band Sergeant Major) in 1999 and Principal Clarinet.

In April 2006 he was given the position of 'Conductor', this role involves rehearsing the band to ensure the continuous high standards required of the RAMC. Upon completion of fifteen years' service to the TA, he was recently awarded a bar to the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal. He was given the great honour of being promoted to Warrant Officer Class One in February 2007. WO1 Ghigi is married to Debbie and lives in Andover, Hampshire.