ZANE DALAL was born and educated in England. Awarded an Organ Scholarship to the University of Oxford, he held the position of Choirmaster and Organist at Oriel College Chapel. During his tenure the choir made several tours within the United Kingdom, notably to the cathedrals at Lichfield, Ely, Coventry and York. He holds Masters Degrees in Music from both the University of Oxford, U.K and from Indiana University, at Bloomington."Extremely talented musician, ... deep understanding of different styles, splendid virtuosity of gesture, and power of communication with the orchestra members."
FRANCO GULLI"An excellent conductor and a very good accompanist ... he is sensitive and flexible in adapting to the needs and interpretative conception of the soloist."
MENAHEM PRESSLER"There is no doubt in my mind that he is a young man with an important future."
MICHEL BLOCK"Zane Dalal is an extremely gifted conductor who possesses a good command over the orchestra, as his stick technique is very clear and communicative and his musical ideas substantive and well thought out. I think he is on the verge of embarking on a good career."
ZUBIN MEHTA
Mr. Dalal made his debut in Orchestral Conducting in the United States at Indiana University. He became one of their most distinguished conducting students, performing a wide range of new works, concerti and symphonic repertoire. In 1989, he was named the Assistant Conductor of the Opera Department and was extensively involved with several diverse productions, including Verdi’s Otello, John Eaton’s Cry of Clytaemnestra and an acclaimed public performance of Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel. Also in that year, Mr. Dalal attended rehearsals and coachings at the Bayreuther Festspiele, under the auspices of Maestro Daniel Barenboïm and Wolfgang Wagner. He has also participated in several music festivals and competitions including the 1990 international competitions in Besançon and Lugano, placing as finalists in both. He has conducted, in performance or auditions the symphonies of St. Louis, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Utah, Dallas, Kansas City, Jerusalem, L'Orchestre des Pays de La Loire and the Florida Philharmonic.
Mr. Dalal was on faculty at the University of Oklahoma where he was Music Director of the Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the University Opera Theater, from 1991 to 1993. Under his direction, the orchestra received tremendous recognition when they made their first statewide tours. In this capacity, he was selected to several fundraising committees and was a major contributor to the outreach program for the College of Fine Arts. In January 1994 his acclaimed performance of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony with the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles, at Royce Hall prompted an enthusiastic endorsement from Maestro Zubin Mehta.
In September of 1994 Mr. Dalal led the Utah Symphony Orchestra in a special gala concert for the Lord Mayor of London, which launched the St. Paul’s Cathedral Appeal Fund in the United States. Preceding this event, he recorded a compact disc , with the same orchestra in collaboration with the inspired engineering of the late John Mosely, that traverses both ‘pops’ and ‘classical’ repertoire, using a revolutionary recording technique that eliminates distortion. Mr. Dalal's excellent rapport on the platform and the engineering procedures, resulted in decision to record several of the works in unedited "single takes" resulting in an exciting, seamless musical flow.
In 1995 Mr. Dalal competed in the prestigious ‘First Leonard Bernstein Jerusalem International Conductors Competition’. Of a starting field of two hundred and thirty-three, Mr. Dalal was one of seventeen international candidates invited to conduct in Jerusalem. Of three candidates advanced to that stage from the United States, he was the sole winner of the competition held in Tanglewood. In 1996, by nomination, he was one of nine conductors at the American Symphony Orchestra League National Conductor’s preview, in Kansas City and spent much of the summer at the Ravinia Festival by invitation of Maestro Christoph Eschenbach. Through the 1997/1998 season Mr. Dalal was invited to assist with the Dallas Symphony acting as cover conductor for selected concerts with Maestro Andrew Litton and guest conductors.
In February of 1999 he was ‘shortlisted’ for the assistant position with the Minnesota orchestra and in March was an active participant in the American Symphony Orchestra League workshop in Chicago. In October 1999, following auditions for the assistant conductor position, Mr. Dalal was invited to lead the Florida Philharmonic on a two program-four concert ‘outreach’ tour of the South Florida region. This successful endeavor, was marked with a tremendously positive response to the level of musicianship on the platform, as well as to the spoken introductions from the podium, culminating at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater. Mr. Dalal was honored to accept the key to the city, presented shortly thereafter by the mayor.
In 2001 Mr. Dalal conducted the Chicago Civic Orchestra in audition, by invitation of Daniel Barenboïm and conducted The Florida Orchestra in their search for a Resident Conductor.