Biography of Danilo Lozano

Danilo Lozano, flute soloist, performs both innovative and accessible programs made up of music by Latin American and African American composers, as well as rarely heard pieces of the classical and contemporary repertoire. A founding member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra known for its many highly acclaimed and popular recordings, Lozano has emerged as a respected classical musician performing the widest possible repertoire.

Lozano’s 1988 European debut resulted in an invitation from Germany to join in the Zelt-Musik Festival International Flute Summit where he played with renowned virtuosos such as Aurele Nicolet and James Newton. His appearance in “Artes de Mexico,” the massive 1992 Los Angeles festival, caused the Los Angeles Times to notice the recital’s boldness and how Lozano “skillfully laid out his avant-garde credentials with a display of extended techniques.” La Opinion, the largest Spanish language newspaper in the United States, joined the praise by stating that Lozano “demonstrates astonishing musical virtuosity.”

 


Born into a musical family Danilo absorbed from his father Rolando a skill and sensitivity for style. In the 1950s and early 60s the elder Lozano made recordings which are now considered classics and which established his fame as a pioneer in Cuban charanga and Latin jazz flute. At his father’s insistence Danilo pursued classical training and attained a Bachelor of Music at the University of Southern California. A Master of Arts at UCLA allowed Lozano to deepen his experience of contemporary and world music techniques. Flute Talk, the leading international magazine in the field, recognized that “expert modulations and tonal colors qualify Lozano as one of the finer talents we have recently heard.”

He has appeared with the Los Angeles Opera Guild Orchestra, El Paso Symphony Orchestra, Mexican Arts Chamber Symphony, and Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Lozano created the world premiere recording of the Blas Galindo Concerto for flute and orchestra with the Mexican National Symphony Orchestra and was a featured soloist in Mexico City’s 15th International Forum of New Music. In consideration of his unique musical background and wide ranging interests Antoinette Handy, National Endowment for the Arts official writing in Black Perspective in Music, found Lozano to be “a fresh new voice of outstanding ability and rare musical sensitivity.”

Lozano has played as orchestral musician on all the Hollywood Bowl releases and as a studio sideman on many Latin jazz recordings. He was a featured soloist on Grammy Award winning bassist Israel Lopez “Cachao’s” most recent release entitled “Cuba Linda” on Capitol Records/Ciineson Productions. Lozano can also be heard as a soloist on the live recording of the Jazz on the Latin Side All-Stars (volumes I-II), released on Cubop Records.

His solo recording debut “The Art of Danilo Lozano,” a 1987 LP on James Mars Productions, was succeeded by “Danilo Lozano and Althea Waites,” a 1993 CD of premieres on the Mexican National Institute of Fine Arts label (Bellas Artes). In 1998, Lozano was the featured soloist on the premiere recording of Ed Bland’s electro-acoustic composition entitled “Dancing through the Walls”.

Most recently, Lozano has been involved in Narada Productions’ critically acclaimed “Cuba LA” project as musical director and flutist, and as musical director of Edward James Olmos’ PBS Special “Americanos”; the latter having earned an Imagen Award in 2000. Also, Lozano was musical director and flutist of Israel Lopez “Cachao’s” Mambo Mass which premiered in September of 2000, in Los Angeles.

Although he has appeared with such international musical greats as Linda Ronstadt, Babatunde Olatunji, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston, Lozano has maintained a personal commitment to education. In addition to giving outreach concerts for Da Camera Society he was instrumental in establishing the International Association of Jazz Appreciation’s “Jazz goes to School” program. His lecture-demonstrations and master classes have been given at the Music of the Americas Festival and at university campuses throughout Southern California. Lozano has taught at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, California State Polytechnical University Pomona and University of California Los Angeles.