Gregory Pascuzzi was born in 1952 in Pittsburgh to musician parents (his father, Wayne, was principal percussion with the Pittsburgh Symphony during the Reiner and Steinberg eras). Gregory studied composition and conducting with Karel Husa, Sheldon Morgenstern, and Henry Mazer among others; trumpet with Anthony Pasquarelli and Don Tison, and piano with Julio Esteban and Stef Scaggiari.

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His compositions and arrangements have been commissioned and/or performed by soloists, chamber ensembles and orchestras throughout the United States and abroad, including noted trumpeters Phil Smith (retired principal, New York Philharmonic), Don Tison, Ed Hoffman, and Andrew Balio (retired and current principals, Baltimore Symphony), Tine Thing Helseth, Julian Poore (Chamber Orchestra of Europe), Jim Thompson (Professor at Eastman), Dennis Najoom (retired co-principal, Milwaukee Symphony), Fred Mills (Canadian Brass), Terry Everson (Boston University/principal, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra), Fred Irby III (Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra), Brian Evans (retired Opera Australia Orchestra) and noted jazz players Marvin Stamm, Mike Vax, and Vince and Gabriel DiMartino.

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Pascuzzi’s saxophone works include Aria and Allegro for Soprano Saxophone and Wind Band, written for Tedd Griepentrog; Chamber Concerto for Alto Saxophone, written for Brian Sparks of the U.S. Coast Guard Band; and Andante and Allegro, written for The U.S. Army Field Band Saxophone Quartet.

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Major ensembles that have performed his compositions include the Baltimore, Detroit, Indianapolis, South Dakota and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras; the BBC Big Band, Royal College of Music Wind Orchestra, Eastman School of Music Brass Guild and Big Band, New English Orchestra, All Souls Orchestra and Big Band (London), the New York Philharmonic Principal Brass/Canadian Brass, New York Philharmonic Brass and Percussion, Orchestra Nationala a Companiei TeleRadio Moldova, Washington Symphonic Brass, River City Brass Band, Westminster Brass, Annapolis Brass Quintet, Capitol Quartet, Cornerstone Saxophone Quartet, Volga Wind Band (Saratov, Russia), major military and Salvation Army Staff bands in the USA, UK, Australia and—in a better time—Russia and recently, Ukraine.

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He served 27 years with the U.S. Military Academy Band and U.S. Army Field Band in Washington, D.C. where his duties included solo cornet with the Concert Band, pianist with the Soldiers’ Chorus and Jazz Ambassadors and, ultimately, Chief Composer–Arranger. Freelance work has included several years with the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble. Several of his pieces have been premiered at International Trumpet Guild Conferences and he has served as guest composer-conductor at the Credo Festival at Oberlin Conservatory as well as Composer-in-Residence with the annual Crescendo Summer Institute of the Arts in Sárospatak and Tokáj, Hungary.