Daniel Pate, Percussionist

Daniel Pate, percussionist, performs newly commissioned works and standard repertoire in concerts throughout the United States. As a soloist, Mr. Pate has been featured in several concert series throughout the U.S and has garnered top marks in many competitions. In 2002 he was the winner of the San Diego Symphony’s “Hot Shots” competition where he was featured as a soloist performing Paul Creston’s “Concertino for Marimba” with the symphony In 2003 he won the UC Davis Summerarts Festival Soloist Competition where he received a full scholarship and performed a solo concert of new and commissioned music at the famous Mondavi Center. He was named, “Most Promising Performer” in the 2003 La Jolla Music Society Competition and the 2002 Goodlin Scholarship Competition. He was named the winner of the University of Massachusetts Concerto Competition where he performed Keiko Abe’s “Prism Rhapsody for Marimba” With the UMass Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Lanfranco Marcelletti Jr. Most recently, Daniel received third place in the International Jefferson Symphony Young Artists Competition where he performed a solo concert at the Denver Metropolitan University.Mr. Pate has performed with such chamber groups as the UMass Advanced percussion ensemble “Talking Drum” and San Diego State University’s “Fulcrum” and is a founding member of the “Duplexx” percussion duo along with friend Jason Blaquiere. . He is currently a performer of “Red Fish, Blue Fish” percussion ensemble at UCSD as well as a percussionist for the La Jolla Symphony under the direction of Steven Schick.Daniel is an advocate for music education and has conducted several master classes in middle and high Schools in California and New England. In 2005, though a collaboration between the San Diego Youth Symphony and the Composers Today organization, Mr. Pate performed William Kraft’s “English Suite” in several master classes with the famed composer himself there to describe it to the audience. Currently Mr. Pate is the percussion instructor for Valle Halla High School where he directs the Percussion Ensemble as well as an instructor at Eastlake High School and Patrick Henry High School.Mr. Pate recently received his Master’s Degree in Percussion Performance from The University of Massachusetts in Amherst under the instruction of Eduardo Leandro. As well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance from San Diego State University. During his studies, Mr. Pate has worked with such performers as marimbists, Robert Van Sice, Gordon Stout, Christopher Norton, Nancy Zeltsman, and Michael Burritt. As well as percussionists, Steven Schick, Jack Van Geem, principal percussionist of the San Francisco Symphony and Raynor Carrol, principal percussionist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Pate endorses Vic Firth drumsticks and mallets.