Dominic Spera’s professional background includes prolific work as a composer-arranger and performances as a jazz artist. For 10 years, Mr. Spera performed professionally in New York City doing work in TV and recording studios, which included Firestone T.V. show, Fred Waring T.V. show, City Center Ballet Orchestra, Radio City Symphony, Roxy Theater orchestra, and played lead trumpet in several Broadway Shows including "How To Succeed In Business, 11 "Stop The World I Want To Get Off, 11 "The Roar Of The Grease Paint The Smell Of The Crowd, 11 and "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. 11 He also played in the bands of Lional Hampton, Andy Kirk, Charlie Barnet, Billy Butterfield, Tito Puente, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Les and Larry Elgart. From 1966 to 1974, Mr. Spera played first trumpet for Burt Bacharach, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Henry Mancini, and a host of other entertainment luminaries. Recently he performed with Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas, Natalie Cole on her national tour, and with Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme. He has also performed with the Boston, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis Symphonies.

From 1968 to 1976, Mr. Spera was associated with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, teaching Jazz and Trumpet, and his Jazz program was cited by Down Beat Magazine as "a national success story." He is extremely active as a clinician/director for summer jazz camps and university seminars which include the very successful University of Wisconsin Shell Lake Jazz Camp and the University of Alberta. He has recorded a Jazz Techniques video tape for the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and in 1976 he received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for six compositions for Jazz Band. In June 1992, Mr. Spera served as soloist, clinician, and conductor at the Monaco Jazz Masters Jazz Festival in Monte Carlo.

Dominic Spera’s contributions to music have gained him international recognition in the jazz curriculum area as well as in the performing arts and a place in Who’s Who in America. He has taught privately and in school systems for over thirty years, and is an honor graduate with a BME. BM and MME from Indiana University.

Mr. Spera is very active as an international soloist, clinician composer and author for the YAMAHA Corp., Barnhouse Publishing Corp., Hal Leonard Publishing Corp., Studio P/R, Columbia Pictures Corp., Houston Publishing Co. and Really Good Music, LLC.

Dominic Spera has performed in virtually every state in the U.S.A plus touring Australia, Canada, China, Italy and Japan. He performed in New York City for 9 years, playing Birdland to Carnegie Hall, Lionel Hampton to Tommy Dorsey, the Roxy Theatre to the City Center Ballet Orchestra, the Firestone TV show to 1st Trumpet for Broadway show producer David Merrick. He also toured with Andy Williams and Henry Mancini and appeared with Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas.

The composer of over 100 jazz ensemble compositions and two Disney overtures, Mr. Spera is Professor Emeritus of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he taught jazz arranging and composition, jazz pedagogy, jazz ensemble and jazz history for 20 years.