Dustin, 25, has won numerous competitions in both piano performance and music composition. He is a member of the Young Composers Guild and the Young Artist Guild of the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC). In 2001, Dustin was the recipient of the Modesto Symphony Guild Outstanding Young Musician Award, the Mancini First Place Award for Musical Excellence, first place honors for the MTAC Memorial Scholarship, and the MTAC Young Artist Guild AMRON Memorial Scholarship.In 2001, his composition Toccata for solo piano, won second place in the CAPMT Collegiate Composition Competition. His Prelude and Fugue, Enigma Rhapsody and Perspectives for two pianos won first place honors in the California State MTNA Collegiate Composition Competition and in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 MTNA Southwest Division Competition. In 2003, Dustin was commissioned once again to prepare a major keyboard work for the Kapell Foundation Commemorative Concert that was held in November of that year at the Colburn School of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles. The resulting work was Dance Illusions, a set of four piano pieces inspired by various dance rhythms and styles.During the past four years, Dustin has performed extensively throughout California as a solo artist presenting standard literature and original works, as an accompanist for vocalists, and in chamber ensembles. In 2005, he received his BA in music composition and piano performance from Santa Clara University, CA where he studied both piano and music composition. He studied piano with Hans Boepple and composition with Dr. Pamela Quist. In 2007 he received his MM in composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he studied with renown composer Michael Fiday.