Major J Burcham MMus PGDip(TCM) LRSM Royal Marines

Born in East Sussex, Captain Jason Burcham took an early interest in music learning the piano. By the time Jason joined the Royal Marines as a pianist and cornet player at the Royal Marines School of Music, Deal in 1986 he had already won a number of performance competitions on piano.

On completion of training, Jason briefly joined the Commando Training Centre Band before being drafted to the Staff Band at Deal where he was to remain for the next three years. A move to the Band of the Commander-in Chief Naval Home Command in Portsmouth brought with it promotion and the opportunity to serve on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

On board the performed for many members of the Royal Family and Foreign Dignitaries at historic events such as the State Visits to Russia in 1994 and South Africa in 1995.

A brief time was spent as the piano instructor at the Royal Marines School of Music, now in Portsmouth, before Jason was selected to attend the Bandmasters course for which he was awarded the Silver Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians. His own training complete for the moment Jason returned to role of instructor before a move back to the Portsmouth Band.

During the deployment of an especially formed composite band to Kosovo with 3 Commando Brigade, Jason was promoted to WO2 Bandmaster and was effectively in charge of the band in the absence of the Director of Music. It was during this deployment that he successfully passed the Admiralty Interview Board and was commissioned in April 2001.

His Director of Music course took him to Trinity College of Music in Greenwich where he studied conducting under the mentorship of Tadaaki Otaka and the tuition of Peter Stark. He was also fortunate to work with Sir Charles MacKerras. Jason was selected to represent the College at the Erasmus Conducting Course in Lithuania and was recipient of the Ricordi Conducting Prize.

His first appointment was as Director of Music to the Band at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines which was followed by his appointment as SO3 Band at HQBSRM. Following promotion to Major, in September 2007, he took up his current appointment as SO2 Band at HQBSRM. Jason has two children, Honor and Rory and resides in Lympstone, Devon with his wife Veryan, when they are not at their home in Brittany, France.

Last updated: 27 July 2007