Sergeant First Class Anna Pennington, oboe and English horn, joined the West Point Band in 2011. Prior to that, she had served as Assistant Professor of Oboe at the University of Southern Mississippi School of Music since 2007. During that time, she performed as a member of the Mobile, Pensacola, and Gulf Coast Symphonies. She also toured extensively with Category 5, the faculty wind quintet in residence at the university. In addition to being a former member of the Planets, a classical fusion ensemble, Sgt. 1st Class Pennington has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, the Charleston Symphony, and the Florida West Coast Symphony (now Sarasota Orchestra). Festival appearances include the New Texas Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Victoria Bach Festival, and the Salzburger Festspiele.
Sgt. 1st Class Pennington has given recitals and masterclasses at universities throughout the United States, Venezuela, and Brazil, and has also made appearances on National Public Radio, at Carnegie Hall, at Avery Fisher Hall, and at various international venues. She appeared as a soloist with the Florida State University Symphony in 2005. She also has been involved in numerous recording projects.
A Texas native, Sgt. 1st Class Pennington holds a Doctor of Music from The Florida State University, a Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from The University of Texas. Her teachers have included Eric Ohlsson, Joseph Robinson, John Snow, and Beth Sanders.
