Talent continues to meet opportunity for local youth composer Dante Zubel. As in years passed, Dante is winning awards including taking nationals in the National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Composer contest. While this was his third time winning the national award he also received the Olga Klein Nelson Composition Award for his original big band jazz piece, “Groove Toss.” This spring Dante entered a full orchestra score titled “Desperation” into the Utah Music Teachers Association Junior Composer Contest and was awarded second place. Big wins aren’t the only thing Dante is adding to his credentials these days. He is also working on an original Christmas carol that will be performed during this year’s Uintah Basin Orchestra and Chorus Christmas concert. Dante was approached by UBOC music director Dr. Michael Bankhead last March about the opportunity to write the piece to be scored for full choir and any instrumentation up to and including full orchestra. The request is quite the undertaking as he was specifically asked for a totally original piece, not a medley or arrangement of existing Christmas songs. Dante has finished the product and is now working to polish it up before rehearsals begin this fall. Congratulations to Dante on his continued success and setting an excellent example of artistic achievement in the Uintah Basin!
