What: Daniel Pardo, winner of the 2016 Sherman-Barsanti Inspiration Award, is reuniting his band From a Land Far Away for a Dallas concert.
When: 7 p.m. June 11 (Saturday).
Where: Gilley's – South Side Music Hall, 1135 S. Lamar St., Dallas.
Cost: $25, concert only; $50, concert and three hour drink ticket; $75, concert, dinner and drinks.
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- University of North Texas College of Music student Daniel Pardo has won the $10,000 top prize in UNT's 2016 Sherman-Barsanti Inspiration Awards. Pardo was awarded the honor April 7 for his project From a Land Far Away (view his application video).
"From a Land Far Away is a musical project that joins avid instrumentalists from around the world to make the stage a celebration of culture, life and music," Pardo said. "The U.S., Colombia, China, Italy, Spain and Puerto Rico are among the areas represented by musicians, and we render homage to music from those countries in addition to Venezuela, India, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and more. The common element among the members of the band is this desire to bring joy to the audience and portray beauty in each music style."
The $10,000 award is made possible by a $350,000 gift from donors Bob and Bette Sherman and honors student creativity. It is open to full-time UNT undergraduate or graduate students with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in any academic program. Two other finalists – Anagha Krishnan, a student in UNT's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, and Chelsea Wagenaar, an English graduate student – also were honored at the reception and received cash prizes of $3,000 and $1,000 respectively.
"We continue to be appreciative of the breadth of the creativity and imagination that is obviously present across the entire campus," Bob Sherman said. "In each of the three years the awards have been given, the winners have come from diverse backgrounds and fields of interest. That is as it should be and is cause to celebrate. We are delighted that the faculty, staff and administration are so invested in putting these talents forward for all to behold."
To help raise funds for a local church, From a Land Far Away will celebrate the win in a reunion concert at 7 p.m. June 11 (Saturday) at Gilley's – South Side Music Hall, 1135 S. Lamar St., Dallas. Tickets are $25 for the concert only; $50 for the concert and a three hour drink ticket; and $75 for the concert, dinner and drinks (dinner begins at 6 p.m.).
"The band will perform a fundraising concert for the East Dallas Christian Church concert series with special guest violinist Karen Briggs from the PBS special Yanni: Live at the Acropolis," Pardo said. "There also will be a CD release featuring UNT alumnus Jeff Coffin from Dave Matthews Band and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. After our reunion concert, I would like to orchestrate our music to perform with orchestras and Big Bands, to continue the discovery of artistic possibilities and reach wider audiences."
Pardo also hopes that he can inspire peace through the project:
"I want to reach audiences throughout the world with this message of celebration and of brotherhood. I think we all need that. We need to remind ourselves that our neighbors are our brothers, and that we are always capable to love more. Music allows us to speak directly to our souls and to reach into the very fabric of our nature – love."
For more information on opportunities to support UNT and its students, visit Giving to UNT or call 940-565-2900.
About the UNT College of Music
The College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the world. Approximately 1,500 music students attend the college each year, participating in nearly 70 widely varied ensembles while engaged in specialized studies in performance, composition, conducting, jazz studies, music education, music history, music theory or ethnomusicology. Music students, alumni and faculty have made appearances on the world's finest stages, have produced numerous recordings with many receiving Grammy awards and nominations, and have written influential texts in a variety of areas in music scholarship. Distinguished University alumni can be found around the globe in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities, and schools.