Paco San José

Paco San José is a Cantabrian recording artist, composer, and professor of traditional Cantabrian music.

Early life
Paco San José was born on May 18, 1958, in Santander, Spain. He later graduated from the Jesús de Monasterio Conservatory, after which he became a composer and professional musician.

Career
Paco San José his career he has recorded on reed instruments such as Andean flutes, mountain whistles, dulzaina bagpipes, clarinet, silbo, kena, Spanish guitar, and accordion. Over his career he has recorded forty albums, the majority of which consist of popular Cantabrian music—a form of folk music from the Cantabrian region of Spain. He is also the founder of the Santander Piteros Collective. José is a founding professor of the Santander School of Traditional Music, where he instructs students on various instruments. He served as the director of the International Piteros Festival in Cantabria. In 2010 he also published the book ''The secret life of the piteros. 30 years of anecdotes and experiences''.

In 2007 he received a commendation from the Parliament of Cantabria upon the 25th anniversary of the regions autonomy. Upon his thirtieth anniversary as a recording artist, a half hour feature on his career broadcast over national radio from a stage at the Centro de Acción Social y Cultural de Caja Cantabria. In June 2022, he received the Proa Award from the Cantabrian Folklore Gala—a lifetime achievement award.

Personal life
In his personal life, José is an amateur mountain climber.