Giovanni Orsomando (born in Casapulla December 29 1895, died in Rome, September 26 1988) has been an important Italian composer and band director, one of the most famous author of marches and original band music. He studied clarinet for many years playing as solo in the Infantry Band (being him an officer). He graduated in 1922 in band composition and instrumentation by the San Pietro School of Music at Majella, Naple. He immediately reach the success by the symphonic march Annina, dedicated to his wife. He lived most of his life in Caserta, directing bands, teaching and composing. He was director of Rome Band and in the very few years of his life he moved to Rome where he died.

"Gaia" was written in 1951 and it was a good example of symphonic march where the clarinets are the main characters coadiuvated by the brasses. The melody is very nice and shows some unsual musical solutions which lead to a certain difficulty of the execution, both technically and in the intonation. This is probably why this piece of music was chosen in the past for Bands contests, especially in the Cnetre and south of Italy.

Giovanni Orsomando's daughter, Nicoletta, was a very famous speaker at the Italian public TV who started to work in the '50 and retired few years ago.