Dan Minervini has been playing the piano and organ since the age of age 12. It was a few years before that — fourth or fifth grade, as he recalls — that he knew he wanted to pursue law enforcement as a career. It was that bit of precocious self-awareness that would ultimately lead him to John Jay College of Criminal Justice, as a member of the Class of 2015.
An Honors Program student, he was recently featured in an article in The New York Times on the restoration of the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. A member of the Board of Directors of the New York Theater Organ Society, Dan has been part of the team that maintains the vintage instrument, and in an audio clip on The Times’s website, he can be heard playing a rousing rendition of “Give My Regards to Broadway.”
The winner of a graduation award for the highest GPA in his International Criminal Justice major, and graduating summa cum laude, Minervini hails from a law enforcement family. And while graduate school may some day be in his plans, for now he is awaiting the outcome of applications to a number of police departments — that, and maintaining and playing one of New York’s true musical treasures.
He was, and still is, house organist at the 3/15 Austin-Morton at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York from which he graduated in 2011.
Dan has appreciatively received scholarships from the New York Theatre Organ Society to pursue his interest in the theatre pipe organ at the ATOS Summer Youth Adventure for a number of years since 2009. He currently studies with renowned theatre organist Jelani Eddington. During his lessons with Jelani, conducted through Skype, Dan has learned much about arranging. All of the pieces he performs are his own arrangements.
In 2013 Dan was named “Organ Student of the Year” by the American Theatre Organ Society. He has also served as “Youth Representative” to the ATOS Board of Directors serving a two year term as a voting member of the board.
In 2015 he was the winner of the ATOS Young Organists Competition. He received over $2000 in cash prizes, as well as the opportunity to perform at the “Rising Star” concert at the Balboa Park Summer International Organ Festival in San Diego. In addition, he was invited by Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall Municipal Organist Steven Ball to perform on that instrument.
Dan has played many intermissions and mini-concerts for the New York Theatre Organ Society as well as for GSTOS, and has been a featured artist at our First Thursdays Concerts at the famous Rainbow Room organ in Rahway.
