About

Daniel Esperante is a flutist and conductor based in Staunton, Virginia. He earned his bachelor’s degree in flute performance at Southern Adventist University in Chattanooga, Tennessee, then went on to complete his master’s degree in flute performance at the University of North Texas College of Music, where he also studied orchestral conducting with David Itkin. An avid performer of early music, he began studying the Baroque flute while at UNT with Na’ama Lion. Currently, he is pursuing a DMA in Flute Performance, Pedagogy and Literature at James Madison University with Dr. Beth Chandler Cahill and is researching 20th-century flute music by Spanish composers. 

Daniel has performed both as flutist and conductor in international masterclasses with Bonita Boyd, Marina Piccinini, Jim Walker, Simeon Pironkoff, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and Colin Metters, and was a winner of the National Flute Association Masterclass Competition. In 2024 he participated in the Wintergreen Music LEAD Cooperative fellowship program, an initiative focusing on chamber music experience, professional development, and cross-disciplinary workshops. He is the artistic director and conductor of the Nelson County Community Orchestra, a position he accepted in 2023. Most recently he has co-founded the Bluestone Contemporary Ensemble, a chamber group based at JMU whose primary focus is performing newly written works by living composers.

When not playing the flute or studying scores, you can find Daniel drawing, gardening, or training for the next running event. He and his wife Monica live in Staunton with their two cats, Poppy and Maya.