The Tumon Bay Band Festival was founded in March 2005 by Mr. Maximo Ronquillo, Jr., the 8th Music Director of the Guam Territorial Band, the Official Band of Guam. With the assistance of local and stateside music professors, a three-day band festival was held and featured adjudicated  performances by Guam’s public, private, and military school bands. Harvest Christian Academy was honored as the Command Performance bands for both middle and high school divisions. The following year, the festival grew to a five-day event.

In 2007, the event was aptly renamed the Tumon Bay Music Festival™ due to the inclusion of a choral festival, handbell and choir festival, and performances by rock and jazz ensembles over a nine-day period. Mr. Randolph Stenson from St. Mary’s School in Tokyo, Japan was invited to serve on the first choral and
hand bell choir adjudication faculty. That same year, the Festival Sweepstakes Trophy was introduced. The award is given to the ensemble with the highest adjudicated score totals regardless of category. The firstaward is winning group was the choral group Magis.

In 2008, TBMF was elevated to a regional event when two school band programs from Saipan participated. In addition, Mr. Atsushi Ozawa conducted the first Festival Select Band. The 2008 Festival also included a piano performance by Sydney-based Mr. Evgeny Ukhanov, originally from the Ukraine. His
performance of Maestro Ronquillo’s band arrangement of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 was the algo world premiere of any such arrangement. Also featured at the festival was Mr. Stenson’s arrangement of “Tumon Bay”, a piece written by the late Captain Peter Siguenza, Sr. (USMC-Ret.). The Saipan Southern High School Manta Band garnered the 2008 Sweepstakes Trophy.

Through the years a plethora of local and visiting artists joined the festival either as faculty or showcase performers. The sharing of their talents and eduational offerings have made the festival a truly beneficial event for the region. At the close of 2022, the Guam Territorial Band turned over the festival to the Guam Philharmonic Foundation where Managing Director, Joanne Matanane and founder Max Ronquillo resumed operations. Tumon Bay Music Festival™ 2023 will include the Choral Festival, Band & Orchestra Festival, Jazz, Rock & Beyond: A Pop Concert, Solo & Small Ensemble Festival, and performances by the Tumon Bay International Wind Orchestra, Condcordia, Tumon Bay Festival Orchestra, and Guam Honor Bands. The Tumon Bay Music Festival™ is now a production of the Guam Philharmonic Foundation, Inc. Through music education, the Tumon Bay Music Festival™ is a vehicle to showcase the region’s musical talents in an
effort to foster friendships throughout the world.

Highlights of TBMF™ through the years:

2007 – Tumon Bay Band Festival was renamed to Tumon Bay Music Festival™ with the inclusion of a choral
festival, hand bell choir festival, and performances by rock and jazz ensembles. That same year, the Festival
Sweepstakes Award and trophy was introduced. GySgt Christopher B. Carpenter from the Marine Forces
Pacific Band (Hawaii) and Mr. William DeWitt from Saipan joined the Festival Faculty.

2008 – Off-island groups participate for the first time with two school band programs from Saipan. Mr. Atsushi
Yamashita from Shizuoka, Japan joined the Festival Faculty and conducted the first Festival Band. Sydneybased
Ukrainian concert pianist Mr. Evgeny Ukhanov, performed the world premiere of Max Ronquillo’s wind
band accompaniment arrangement of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Randolph Stenson joined the
Festival Faculty and presented his choral arrangement of Tumon Bay, a piece written by the late Captain
Peter Siguenza, Sr. (USMC-Ret). It was performed by the Festival Choir. Kanto Kings from the United States
Army Band Japan participated to assist the Guam Army National Guard with recruiting for the 721st Army
Band – the newest Band in the United States Army.

2023 – The Guam Terriotorial Band turns over the festival to the Guam Philharmonic Foundation where
Managing Director, Joanne Matanane and festival founder, Maximo Ronquillo resume operations. A Youth
Summit is added to the festival as well as the inaugural performance of a new festival ensemble, the Tumon
Bay Festival Orchestra conducted by Kelly Schlarb & Norman Babia.
Contributed compositions to the Tumon Bay Music Festival™ include:
Kyrie – Randall Johnson (2008)
Blessing from the Sea – fanfare – Kazuki Yanagawa (2009)
Longing to the Sky – Daiki Kato (2010)
The Spinner Dolphin – concert march – Daiki Kato (2011)
Mariana Variations – (based on the CNMI Hymn) Daiki Kato (2012)
Fanfare “Deus Ibi Est” – Jeffrey Meyer (2013)
Abe Måria Bula Hao Grasia – Lawrence Borja, arr. by Raffy Salayon