With over fifteen years of experience, Daniel has performed, recorded, and taught in the US and Latin America. His collaborations include the Colombian National Symphony, the seven-time Grammy® nominated UNT One O’Clock Lab Band, the Bob Curnow Big Band, Latin American Billboard chart-topping singer Carlos Rivera, and his own Daniel Pinilla Project.
Appointed in 2024 as an Assistant Professor of Jazz Guitar at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Dance, and Theater, Daniel maintains an active performing and recording schedule. He has released two albums as a band leader, Intuiciones (FLD, 2011) and Atrás (2011), and is finishing his solo guitar album, Single-Handed. Daniel’s work as a composer, arranger, and guitarist has been widely recognized, with a feature in the NYC Jazz Record’s December 2012, and he has participated in several recordings as a sideman.
One of Daniel’s notable works is the composition “Not Even a Portrait,” created with trumpeter Juan Chaves. This piece, which combines a string quartet, double bass, and guitar, was honored by DownBeat Magazine as the Best Small Ensemble Composition during their 40th-anniversary Student Awards in 2017.
In 2014, Daniel founded “You Art Important,” a non-profit organization dedicated to using music education for social change in Colombia. This project won first prize in the Sherman/Barsanti Inspiration Award at the University of North Texas and a $10,000 prize in 2017. The organization offers music workshops for children in rural Colombia, providing hope and creativity during the post-conflict period.
Daniel has also shared his insights at various conferences and seminars, including the Jazz Education Network Conference (JEN), the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and international meetings like “Art and Culture for Social Transformation” and the “First International Seminar: Theories and Practices of Music Education” at Universidad Central in Bogotá, Colombia.
Daniel Pinilla’s journey combines performance, education, and social advocacy. His work continues to inspire and transform, making a lasting impact on the world of music and beyond. Prior to coming to the University of Michigan, he served on the music faculties of the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho and the Universidad de la Sabana in Colombia.
Education
University of North Texas (DMA, 2020)
University of North Texas (MM, 2016)
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (BM, 2011)