Dr. Gabe Petrocelli was born in Naples, Italy and grew in East Orange, New Jersey. He is a graduate of the Hartt Music Conservatory at the University of Hartford; earned a Master’s Degree in Music Composition and Theory at California State University, Los Angeles and a doctoral degree at the University of La Verne. Dr. Petrocelli studied composition with Alvin Epstein and Byuong Yong Kim; conducting with Phillip Treggor and Vito Susca; and jazz and popular music with Alexander Lepak, Lenny La Croix, and Buddy Collette.

In 2006 Dr. Petrocelli’s “St. Mark’s Passion” for Chorus and Organ was premiered at the Assisi Music Festival in Assisi, Italy.  In 2010, he composed a musical work entitled “Centennial” to commemorate the 100-Year Anniversary of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District. In 2011 he composed the film score for a documentary movie entitled “Mayberry Days.” Dr. Petrocelli has composed music for the NBC-TV Promotional Department and written musical arrangements for Hanson Publications. In 2015 he was invited back to the Assisi Music Festival to conduct a performance of “Rhapsody in Blue” and premiere an original work for chamber orchestra and chorus entitled “The Canticle of the Sun.”

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In 2013, Dr. Petrocelli was named director of the Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band in Ontario,California and worked as the director/arranger until his retirement in 2025. During the past several decades, he has written over 950 arrangements for the Ontario Show Band and high school bands/orchestras throughout Southern California. In the past several years his compositions have been premiered by concert artists that include Maria-Perez Goodman performing "Waltz Fantasia" and "Los Canciones Para Piano #1",#2, #3,  the Windsong Chorale, Jason Goodman performing "Divertimento Español,” and the Inland Valley String Orchestra that performed an original suite for string orchestra entitled “An American Biography.”  He has written numerous songs and arrangements for a number of ensembles and soloists in the New York City and Los Angeles areas that include artists such as Steve Alaniz, Andrea Calderwood, Jim Bonner, Sheila Ruff, Brian Detwiler, Chris McAleer, Aimee Nolte , Diva Taunia, Jim Curry, Taber Shy, Bobby Rodriguez, and Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Ron Ellington Shy.