“Daniel’s flute tracks are GREAT! Love the sound, performance, vibrato…They make a big difference to my music, really bringing it to life!”
“What a joy to write for Daniel Pardo! Concerto for Folded Space called for some 56 separate tracks. Daniel played them all at the virtuoso level! He is simply a world-class musician of the highest order.”
Daniel Pardo works regularly as a studio musician in orchestral and commercial settings, fusing Western Classical traditions with ethnic sounds and technology. Born in Bogota, Colombia, Daniel’s performer/producer roles have led to special collaborations in recordings and tours with L.A. producers K.C. Porter (Santana; Ricky Martin) and J.B. Eckl (Santana; En Vogue), and artists such as Jeff Coffin, Karen Briggs, Jake Shimabukuro, Steve Wiest, Bob Mintzer, Shango Dely, Rosana Eckert, Chris McDonald, Dan Rudin, Giampiero Scuderi, Tyler Mire, Sergio Pamies, Drew Zaremba, Kyle Gordon, Brasuka, Jose Aponte & Caribe Club, Keith Critcher & the EDCC Consert Series, Cesar Lopez (Non-Violence Messenger for the United Nations), and James Pankow, Jason Scheff and Keith Howland from the rock group Chicago. As principal flute, Daniel recorded the 50 year commemoration CD of West Side Story for the Bernstein Estate and The Children of Eden for Stephen Schwartz.
As an educator, Daniel has presented in major conferences such as the International Society for Improvised Music held in CalArts, the National Flute Association (US), the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and the Jazz Education Network Conference; as well as universities in North and South America: the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music, Longy School of Music, University of North Texas, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas State University, University of Northern Colorado, Oklahoma Baptist University, University of Denver, Universidad de Las Americas (Quito, Ecuador), Universidad Javeriana (Bogota, Colombia), and Universidad del Valle (Cali, Colombia), etc.
In 2016, Daniel won 1st prize in the UNT Sherman-Barsanti Inspiration Award; A campus-wide competition honoring creativity that carries a $10,000 prize, for his innovative World Fusion arrangements/performances with From A Land Far Away. In addition to earning national leadership awards in Colombia and the U.S., Daniel has been recognized for his contributions to the U.S. military with the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medal, Army Achievement medal, Army Commendation medal, and the Colonel George Howard Citation of Musical Excellence. Daniel holds music performance degrees from Texas State University (B.M.), and the University of North Texas (M.M. and D.M.A.); and music business and music production certificates from the Berklee College of Music. Daniel’s principal mentors include Fabio Londoño, Greg Patillo, Pedro Eustache, Adah Jones, and Mary Karen Clardy.
Daniel serves as adjudicator for local and national flute competitions and is coordinator for the Houston Flute Club Young Artist Competition and the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship Competition for the National Flute Association (USA). Aside from recording flutes, Daniel works from his personal studio as mixing and mastering engineer for choir, big band, and orchestral projects in the US and Europe and is authoring the upcoming book Music in Contemporary Life for Kendall Hunt Publishing (2022).
Daniel Pardo is Assistant Professor of Flute at Prairie View A&M University and a Yamaha Performing Artist & Clinician.