Daniel Esperante-NCCO ConductorDaniel Esperante is a flutist and conductor based in Staunton, Virginia. He earned his bachelor’s degree in flute performance from Southern Adventist University in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before completing a 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, Daniel began formal study of the Baroque flute at UNT with Na’ama Lion. He is currently pursuing a DMA in Flute Performance, Pedagogy, and Literature at James Madison University with Dr. Beth Chandler Cahill, where his research focuses on twentieth-century flute music by Spanish composers. |
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Daniel has appeared as both flutist and conductor in international masterclasses with Bonita Boyd, Marina Piccinini, Jim Walker, Simeon Pironkoff, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and Colin Metters, and he is a past winner of the National Flute Association Masterclass Competition. In 2024 he was selected for the Wintergreen Music LEAD Cooperative fellowship, an initiative emphasizing chamber music collaboration, professional development, and cross-disciplinary artistic training. He serves as artistic director and conductor of the Nelson County Community Orchestra, a role he has held since 2023. Most recently, he co-founded the Bluestone Contemporary Ensemble—a chamber group based at JMU dedicated to performing newly written works by living composers—and he was named one of two winners of the 2025 JMU Concerto Competition.
Outside of music, Daniel enjoys drawing, gardening, and training for his next running event. He and his wife, Monica, live with their two cats, Poppy and Maya.
Outside of music, Daniel enjoys drawing, gardening, and training for his next running event. He and his wife, Monica, live with their two cats, Poppy and Maya.