SGT Alexander Plotkin

A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, SGT Alexander Plotkin began studying music at the age of five. He earned a Bachelor of Music from Lynn University in Bassoon Performance in Florida (2002), where he was later named the 2021 Lynn University Concerto Competition winner and earned his Master of Music from Northwestern University in Illinois (2003). He joined the U.S. Air Force Band of the West in 2004 as a bassoonist, where he was a featured soloist at the Texas Bandmasters Association Conference and recorded multiple CDs with various Air Force bands. In 2010, SGT Plotkin transitioned to the Air National Guard Band of the Southwest, touring extensively across the U.S. and abroad, and served on the Hurricane Harvey relief mission. Following the band’s deactivation in 2024, he joined the 36th Infantry Division Band in the Texas Army National Guard.

SGT Plotkin’s military honors include the Air and Space Commendation Medal, Air Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, Texas Medal of Merit, Texas Humanitarian Service Medal, and the USAF Band of the West Airman of the Quarter Award (Jan–Mar 2007). He is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. In civilian life, he serves as Deputy Project Manager in the Alternative Delivery Division at the Texas Department of Transportation.