Dan Monte

Dan comes from a long line of Portuguese and Canadian musicians settled in Southeastern Coastal Massachusetts. He deeply enjoys collaborating with other artists, and has been seen playing Off-Broadway (J2 Spotlight Theatre Comp.), and accompanying Modern & Improv Dance Classes (Rutgers University). Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Ithaca College, and a master’s degree in Music Performance from Rutgers University. Dan is also an avid composer of contemporary classical music, jazz, pop, film, and commercial music. Currently, Dan lives in Massachusetts, where he teaches music at UMASS Dartmouth, produces podcasts, and enjoys drinking coffee, cooking, and playing chess. 

Dan joins the Cape Symphony for “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back In Concert”

About a month ago I was asked to be an extra percussionist for one of the most exciting programs I’ve ever heard. I am very excited to be playing with the Cape Symphony as they accompany the film “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”.

This sort of orchestral concert has become very popular recently. In graduate school, my timpani teacher (Kyle Zerna) gifted me tickets to see the New York Philharmonic play the score to the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. As melody is integral to the actual plot of the movie – it is the way the humans communicate with the aliens – this film really came to life when the orchestra played the score life with the picture.

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