Michael Zwack
Michael is an American born and raised in the state of Iowa. He started playing cornet at the age of nine and continued through high school playing with various bands and ensembles until university where he switched to trumpet and played with rock bands to supplement his income and university tuition.
He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences and Land Use Planning. After university he quit playing the trumpet and was sponsored to attend a sound recording and engineering school and later became a front of house sound engineer for several national acts including Cat Stevens, George Benson, Elvis Presley, Rush and others. Tired of the life on the road he joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer in 1977 and was sent to Thailand. He never returned to live in the United States.
After spending 14 years in Thailand working mainly for the U.S. Government, he was recruited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a land use planner in Laos. His 23 year career with UNHCR saw him posted as a senior manager of refugee and emergency situations in Laos, Uganda, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He retired in 2014 as UNHCR Representative to Sri Lanka and moved to Menorca where he met the Gwent Touring Band (named at the time) and was convinced to pick up the cornet again and play with the Gwent Charity Brass whenever they are in Menorca.
He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences and Land Use Planning. After university he quit playing the trumpet and was sponsored to attend a sound recording and engineering school and later became a front of house sound engineer for several national acts including Cat Stevens, George Benson, Elvis Presley, Rush and others. Tired of the life on the road he joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer in 1977 and was sent to Thailand. He never returned to live in the United States.
After spending 14 years in Thailand working mainly for the U.S. Government, he was recruited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a land use planner in Laos. His 23 year career with UNHCR saw him posted as a senior manager of refugee and emergency situations in Laos, Uganda, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He retired in 2014 as UNHCR Representative to Sri Lanka and moved to Menorca where he met the Gwent Touring Band (named at the time) and was convinced to pick up the cornet again and play with the Gwent Charity Brass whenever they are in Menorca.