DAN BASSETT:

A LIFE OF MUSIC Recently, local musician and conductor, Dan Bassett was named by the Miami Herald as one of twenty local artists under the age of forty who are already making an impact in the arts in South Florida. Only four of the artists chosen were musicians and Bassett was the only gay-affiliated artist.

Bassett has been the conductor of the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble, based in Fort Lauderdale, for five years. Recently I caught up with Bassett to talk about their upcoming 25th anniversary concert. The band’s concert will be held on November 6 and is titled “The Classics” and will also feature a holiday concert on December 15 with the Pride Jazz Ensemble and the Fort Lauderdale Women’s Chorus.

In Bassett’s words “expect to be incredibly entertained with some of the most challenging music we’ve performed. I am so proud of the Wind Ensemble … prepare for a fantastic evening.” The event will once again be held at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

In addition to the wind ensemble, Bassett also conducts the South Florida Pride Jazz Ensemble and Marching Band.

Among Bassett’s biggest accomplishments was a national conference of gay and lesbian bands in New Orleans in the fall of 2009. As artistic director he conducted a 180 piece concert band and coordinated the first Lesbian Gay Band Association (LGBA) Honor Jazz Ensemble with sixtime Grammy Award-winner, Gary Burton as guest soloist and John Mahoney of Loyola University as conductor.

In addition to conducting, Bassett is also an accomplished trumpeter. He has been a featured soloist with the Singing Sons Boychoir, Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, MCC Sunshine Cathedral and South Florida Wind Ensemble. As church musician, he spent fourteen years at the MCC Sunshine Cathedral as trumpeter and instrumental coordinator.

South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble