Testimonials

We received your CD and it is beautifully done. Your playing ranks among the best of today. I am glad our instrument works for you.
Jose Oribe
Founder
Oribe Guitars

We had the pleasure of working with Ed Stephenson for our 2019 Company Retreat. Ed and his accompanying musicians were outstanding! The trio elevated our evening to the next level, making our event so special and memorable. We would highly recommend Ed and would be thrilled to have him back at future events!
Timothy A. Mann
Chief Operations Officer
NC Subway® Group, Inc.

Ed and his dancers really elevated our fall programming series. Not only are they world-class performers, they also interspersed the music with background on the history and artistic evolution of flamenco. Wonderful experience, highly recommended.
Daniel Sumerlin
Adult Services Librarian
Wake County, Raleigh, North Carolina

Ed Stephenson and The Paco Band were phenomenal, as always! The 200+ students in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the performance – and Ed’s ability to talk about the music and the culture surrounding it was helpful to their understanding. As I sorted through the students’ written comments after the show, two stood out for really summing up what everyone was writing: “Absolutely LOVED it” and “You guys were so good!!! I loved watching you do what you love!” It is true – the audience loved it and it’s also clear Ed and the band love what they do and their passion shows through. An incredibly talented group who beautifully highlight the complexity of the music – and the dancer was a wonderful addition.
Ken Johnson
Associate Director, University Scholars Program
Co-Director, History and Italian Studies in Florence Program
Division of Academic and Student Affairs, NC State University

Ed is a phenomenally talented artist with a flair for tapping in to the emotions that you never even realized you had, all with a strum of his guitar. His music is as smooth as it can be, and will both invigorate and soothe you. All of this is made more remarkable by his soft humility and understated way of engaging a crowd. If you have not heard the magic of Ed Stephenson and The Paco Band, you want to find out where they’re performing next and make it a priority to be there!!
Jené Swan
Sommelier, Niche Wine Lounge

It was such a pleasure working with you. It was the perfect addition to our festival line-up. Our guests were thrilled with the performances. I, for one, felt transported to another place.
Fidias Reyes
Artist Services and Residency Manager
Office of the Arts, University of North Carolina-Wilmington

On behalf of Activate Good, THANK YOU for sharing your time and wonderful talents with us at Couture for a Cause! You truly elevated our event and brought beauty to our guests!
Amber Smith
Executive Director of Activate Good

Over the years, I have hired Ed Stephenson and The Paco Band for many corporate events. Ed is my “go to” entertainer because I know when I hire him, the group will be on time, perform professionally, and play exceptional music that guests will notice and remember. The Paco Band sound is unlike anything else I have heard at corporate events. They create a unique world-beat atmosphere and their music sets a tone that is head and shoulders above your typical background music.
Elizabeth Davis Peeler
D-P Planning Meetings & Events

Ed was OUTSTANDING!!! Everyone was so impressed! We can’t wait to work with him again!
Lauren Barry
Director of Marketing at McConnell Golf

Thank you and your bandmates, and your beautiful dancer, for putting on a tremendous performance yesterday! And thank you, too, for bringing interactive materials for people to play and touch for the post-show discussion – that was a big hit, too! We received a lot of positive feedback from the performance as well – people who wished the program could have lasted longer, and others who said how fantastic the show was. Best wishes for your future endeavors, and we look forward to other opportunities to work with you in the future.
Jamie Katz Court
Communications & Programs Manager
PineCone – Piedmont Council of Traditional Music

Ed Stephenson is the perfect performer for any occasion. I have had the pleasure of enjoying this music in a small intimate setting and during a large 300 person event! Ed is always professional, kind, and courteous. He never disappoints! We can’t wait to work with him and the whole band again soon.
It was such a pleasure working with you. It was the perfect addition to our festival line-up. Our guests were thrilled with the performances. I, for one, felt transported to another place.
Melissa Sayre
Industrious

The music was great and the evening a huge success!
Kim Moore
Promotions and Events Coordinator at the Carolina Hurricanes

Thank you for doing a great job and making me look good!
Michelle King
Triangle Entertainment Agency

For three of our last four conferences we had, Ed and his group performed for our sit down dinner at various locations throughout the Triangle. He has tailored his music to our specific requests and has provided the perfect background music for our customers to enjoy the evening. He and his group show up in plenty of time to set up and be ready to perform prior to our event. It is my intention to book him again for our conference dinner next May.
Wendy Peterson
Office Manager at FM: Systems, Inc.

You provided our students an opportunity to strengthen our community by learning more about those in it and the world around them. Thank you for giving your time, knowledge, and energy – you educated and inspired our students.
Sara Mizelle
Cary Academy

The performances were fabulous! The musicians were incredible and our visitors loved every minute. We were thrilled to have a full theater for all of the shows!
Jessica Kay Ruhle
Associate Curator of Education at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

For many years I’ve been coming to these Cherry Hill concerts and have heard almost every single one. But this one was the very best, or at least one of the best, we’ve had! It was wonderful!
Cherry Hill Historical Foundation

As an Event Planner/Producer, I’m always on the hunt for great talent to provide my clients. I’ve worked with Ed Stephenson on many wedding events and now have the pleasure of working with him on an annual non-profit art show. Ed is professional, talented, flexible, and knows how to draw in a crowd. Our art show attendees applauded Ed’s duo after each song and that spoke volumes about how well received his style of music was. I highly recommend Ed’s duo for any social or corporate event, and know they will not disappoint.
Tracy L. Adams
Owner/Lead Consultant at Adams & Events

We thoroughly enjoyed Ed Stephenson and his trio at our Awards event! Ed and his group sounded great, were completely professional, and worked with us to make the evening very special.
Julie Paul
Executive Director at ULI Triangle

Ed recently played at our monthly program for the National Association for Catering and Evnets. His beautiful music guided our guests to the South Lawn of the NC Executive Mansion and provided such a cool vibe to kick off our event. Ed came highly recommended by many of our NACE members. He was amenable, professional, and responsive during the planning process, arrived on time, and delivered a perfect set. I look forward to working with him again for some of my corporate, non-profit, and wedding events.
Amy Greene
Lead Consultant at Going Greene Events LLC