SENIOR ETHAN BERL recently placed third in the Illinois Music Educators Association’s statewide music composition contest in the solo keyboard category with a piece he wrote titled “Fantasy.”

Berl will receive his award and critique from the judges at a special session for young composers at the conference.

“It was exciting [to win],” Berl said. “This was the first piece I’d completed. I’d worked on lots of little things before but this was the first piece I actually wrote all the music out for and performed. It was really rewarding.”

Berl’s inspiration for “Fantasy,” a piece reminiscent of the dynamic journey of a slowly rippling stream flowing into and down the mouth of a tumultuous waterfall, comes from a piece written for two pianos by Ravel titled “La Valse.”

Listen to Berl's composition by clicking on the audio slideshow above. For more about this talented musician and composer, click here.