Drew Zaremba is quickly earning a worldwide reputation as a passionate conductor, award-winning writer, and fiery performer. As a writer, he has written and arranged pieces for Wycliffe Gordon, Chuck Findley, Eddie Gomez, Stefan Karlsson, Brad Leali, Marlene VerPlank, is published through Sierra Music, and has recorded twenty of his pieces with the University of North Texas One and Two O’Clock Lab Bands. As a performer and clinician, travels have recently taken him to: China, where he was named a visiting professor at the Contemporary Music Institute in Zhuhai, Los Angeles, Brussels, and Washington D.C., where he participated in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. Drew was awarded 1st prize of $10,000 in the Sherman/Barsanti Inspiration Award at the UNT for his premier concert with his orchestra, the Unity Orchestra, which featured Eddie Gomez.
Drew recently graduated from UNT with is masters in jazz arranging and composition, where he played tenor and lead alto with the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band, directed the 4 O’Clock Lab Band, and served as Rich DeRosa’s teaching fellow for the arranging program. He also had the privilege to perform and work with John Clayton, Chuck Findley, Mike Clark, Carol Welsman, Walt Weiskopf, and Billy Harper. As an ambitious bandleader, Drew assembled the Jazz Fellowship his senior year, mixing some of the best students and faculty into one big band to play and record his compositions. They continue to perform in the DFW area today.
Currently, Drew enjoys a diverse career writing, playing, and organizing projects. He recently finished working at the Wyly Theater in Dallas, where he worked as an assistant for celebrated musical theater directors Stephen Oremus and Dominick Amendum. He enjoys working as a teacher, and has done clinics in China, Sam Houston State University, University of Oklahoma, and is on faculty with the Texas All-Star Music Camp and Arrowbear Music camp in California. He also had the privilege to play lead alto in the Disneyland All American College Band in 2012. Drew’s latest passion is playing the Hammond B3 Organ, where he plays jazz, funk, and gospel music with his own group and with others.