Danielle Ondarza is a highly sought-after French hornist, educator, and recording artist based in Los Angeles. With a career spanning orchestral performance, chamber music, education, and media recording, she creates works that reflect both artistic excellence and a deep commitment to music education.
Ondarza performs regularly with ensembles such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and holds tenured or contracted positions with the Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Opera Santa Barbara. Her freelance career has included performances with nearly every major Southern California orchestra, as well as chamber appearances with Forte Brass, Jacaranda, Ensemble Green, and the Hear Now Festival.
As a studio musician, Ondarza’s horn playing can be heard on a wide range of film, television, and video game scores, including Coco, Finding Dory, Man of Steel, Nope, League of Legends, and World of Warcraft, as well as albums by Daft Punk, Sia, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, and Mitski. She has performed live with artists including Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish, Alicia Keys, and Josh Groban, and has appeared on major televised events such as The Academy Awards, The Voice, and MTV Video Music Awards.
An experienced educator, she serves on the faculties of Pomona College, Occidental College, the Colburn School, and the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, where she also chairs the Winds, Brass & Percussion department. She has designed and taught music courses at Cal Poly Pomona, the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and numerous summer and outreach programs.