DR. AARON ELLINGTON PRADO began classical piano study at age 7 and added formal jazz study in high school, attending the prestigious Stanford Jazz Workshop where faculty included masters like McCoy Tyner, Art Farmer, and Ray Brown.

As an undergraduate at Columbia University in New York City, Prado became heavily involved at WKCR 89.9FM, Columbia’s famous jazz station, and studied jazz history under the tutelage of famed jazz historian, producer, and guru Phil Schaap.

After college, Prado free-lanced in San Antonio’s jazz fertile jazz scene, and worked at Trinity University’s radio station – KRTU 91.7FM where, as Music Director, he helped create the station’s identity as a world-class mainstream jazz outlet. As the “voice of KRTU” – he was on-air daily as host of the acclaimed educational program – “Lunch Feature with Aaron Prado”.

In 2009, Prado moved back to New York City to continue his music training at NYU’s Jazz Studies graduate program, and had the opportunity to study and perform with giants of today’s jazz scene, such as John Scofield, Kenny Werner, Vijay Iyer, Gene Perla, Andy Milne, Jean Michel Pilc, Gabriel Alegria, Wayne Krantz, Ralph Alessi, Brad Shepik, Rich Shemaria, Memo Avecedo, Ralph Lalama, and others.

In addition to extensive performing at premier New York jazz venues – including the Blue Note and the Jazz Gallery, Prado recorded an album and toured Peru with Chilcano, an Afro-Peruvian jazz ensemble.

In May 2014, Prado received A Doctor of Musical Arts with jazz performance specialty from doctorate at the University of Texas Austin’s Butler School of Music.

He looks forward to being a leader in presenting original jazz compositions to new audiences, and intends to preserve and extend the rich history of jazz music in Texas.