Daniel Pardo, D.M.A

Daniel Pardo is a Colombian-American flutist, educator, producer, and arts leader whose work bridges classical music, Latin jazz, world music, and contemporary commercial styles. A former U.S. military musician, Pardo is Associate Professor of Flute and Interim Head of the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance at Prairie View A&M University, where he has helped advance new initiatives in piano, orchestral music, music production, and interdisciplinary performance.

 

An award-winning performer and arranger, Pardo has appeared as a soloist, clinician, and presenter at festivals, universities, conferences, and concert series throughout the United States and internationally. His concert programs—including The Flute Around the World, From Mozart to Corea, and Classical Boleros—combine classical repertoire with Latin American traditions, jazz improvisation, and global musical influences in settings ranging from intimate chamber ensembles to rhythm section and strings.

 

Pardo's 2024 album, Ese Momento, reimagines the Latin American bolero through contemporary arrangements incorporating classical, jazz, and Latin influences. The recording received two Gold Medals from the Global Music Awards and subsequently earned Absolute First Prize and the Innovation Award at the Beethoven International Music Competition UK. His broader recording and studio career has included collaborations with internationally recognized performers, composers, producers, and arrangers in classical, jazz, Latin, film, and commercial music.

 

Pardo has been featured in National Flute Association Convention Gala concerts on multiple occasions and served as Program Chair for the 2026 NFA Convention in Portland, Oregon, developing the artistic program for Origins: Celebrating Trailblazing and Discovery. The convention brought together more than 3,000 flutists, composers, educators, and artists from 20 countries, marking the NFA’s highest convention attendance in a decade.

 

Pardo maintains an active performing career in Texas and beyond. His recent activities include performances with the Fredericksburg Summer Music Institute, national and international festival appearances, Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, and ongoing recording collaborations. He is a member of the Texas Commission on the Arts Texas Touring Roster, through which he presents touring programs designed to bring innovative flute-centered performances to communities throughout Texas.

 

Pardo holds a Bachelor of Music from Texas State University, where he graduated summa cum laude and was inducted into the Fine Arts & Communication Council of Scholars, and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of North Texas. He also holds certificates in music business and music production from Berklee College of Music. His academic and professional honors include First Prize in the University of North Texas Sherman-Barsanti Inspiration Award, a university-wide competition recognizing creativity and innovation, for his world-fusion project From a Land Far Away; the Universidad Javeriana Presidential Scholarship in Bogotá, Colombia; and the Colonel George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence. His leadership and military distinctions include First Prize and Distinguished Honor Graduate at U.S. Army leadership training, First Prize at the National Leadership Course of the Colombian Jesuit Company, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and Army Commendation Medal.

 

 

The following bolero, Sabor a Mi, was composed by Mexican composer Alvaro Carrillo in 1958/59. Arrangement by Dr. Sergio Pamies for the CD project Ese Momento.