Lieutenant Commander Kelly Cartwright
Interim Director
Lt. Cmdr. Kelly Cartwright, from Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1998 as an oboe instrumentalist. As an enlisted member, her duty stations included Navy Band Southwest in San Diego, California; U.S. Pacific Fleet Band in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band in Naples, Italy where she was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 2007.
Commissioned in 2009 as a limited duty band officer, she reported to U.S. Fleet Forces Band in Norfolk, Virginia, as assistant director. In 2012, she assumed the position as the final director of Navy Band Mid-South in Millington, Tennessee, which was disestablished in 2014. She was subsequently assigned as the asset department head at the Navy Office of Community Outreach in Millington. Following a tour as the U.S. Pacific Fleet bandmaster from 2016 to 2019, she returned to Millington to serve as the deputy director and rating assignment officer at U.S. Navy Fleet Band Activities. From 2021 to 2024, she served as the director of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band in Naples, Italy.
Cartwright has led bands at sea in support of the humanitarian assistance-disaster response missions Continuing Promise 2011 aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), and Pacific Partnership 2018 aboard USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). She reported to her current assignment as executive officer, U.S. Navy Band, in May 2024.
In addition to her military assignments, Cartwright studied oboe and English horn with Cynthia Anderson and Carolyn Hove and conducting with Don Wilcox, Lawrence Christianson, Linda Moorhouse, Steve Peterson and Beth Peterson. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from West Virginia University, a Master of Education from the University of Hawaii, and Master of Music from the University of Illinois. She is a graduate of the United States Naval War College Joint Professional Military Education Phase One and the Navy’s Basic, Unit Leader, and Senior Musician courses.
Her military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards) and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (seven awards).
