WINDBER, Pa. – It took roughly six years for Windber musician Zupe to complete his piano composition “Two Ships Passing,” but that hard work and dedication paid off when he earned a 2025 InterContinental Music Award for the piece.
“I’m speechless, honestly,” he said. “I’m very happy to be included with the list of winners.”
Zupe earned a nod from the group as “Best of North America” for contemporary instrumental.
According to the ICMA, the awards “showcased outstanding global talent across a spectrum of genres and artists.”
“The winners of the 2025 InterContinental Music Awards exemplified the pinnacle of global musical excellence,” the ICMA website said.
Zupe said that the award was a surprise.
He submitted his piece in June, and was in Oregon performing when the winners were announced in August. It wasn’t until he returned to Pennsylvania days later that he found out he won.
Longtime friend and collaborator Dave Nichols said he wasn’t surprised by the honor for his talented colleague. He first heard “Two Ships Passing” a few weeks ago, he said, when his fiancee played the tune on her phone.
Nichols said he was impressed by the song, but didn’t realize it was by Zupe until he was told.
“I know he’s my friend, but that piece is stellar,” Nichols said. “It’s phenomenal.”
Zupe’s musical prowess dates back to his youth.
At 8, he joined the music program at Shade-Central City School District’s Cairnbrook Elementary School. He first learned to play the trumpet and piano, but soon added other brass and woodwind instruments to his repertoire.
“I didn’t choose music,” Zupe said. “It chose me.”
His career in the music industry spans several decades, and includes a slew of honors, including his time as student director and arranger for the Sheppard Air Force Base Drum & Bugle Corps during his time enlisted with the U.S. Air Force.
Throughout the years, Zupe has performed at a variety of venues. In 1998, he joined Taxi, a leading independent artist and repertoire company that has allowed his work to appear on a variety of network television programs, such as The History Channel and A&E, according to his website.
He’s also produced several CDs, including the jazz and rock fusion album “Speechless” with Nichols in 2007.
Nichols, a guitarist, said the pair have a good relationship and have often performed together in the studio and at live shows.
Zupe has also recorded an instrumental holiday album titled “Christmas Piano,” an album designed for the ballroom dance enthusiast titled “Dance,” and another Christmas album called “Yuletides” on which he sings some of the most popular Christmas arrangements.
His most recent production was the polka music album “Na zdrowie!” – a callback to the fond memories he has of his father playing the accordion and filling his childhood home with polka music.
Zupe said he’s dedicated his life to making the world better through music.
“In any moment of your life, particularly the more memorable moments of your life, typically music is involved,” Zupe said. “Music makes you a time traveler because you immediately think of something associated with that music.”
He added that, in his opinion, the world needs more music and more love.
For more information on Zupe, visit www.zupe.net.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
