BRANDON PATRICK GEORGE (Flutist) has been the flutist of Imani Winds since 2018 and has appeared with the group around the United States and Europe, and on the Grammy-nominated album, Bruits. He has been praised as "elegant" by The New York Times, as a "virtuoso" by The Washington Post, and as a "knockout musician with a gorgeous sound" by The Philadelphia Inquirer. His debut album was released by Haenssler Classics in September 2020; The New York Times has described it as "a program that showcases the flute in all its wit, warmth and brilliance."
Brandon has performed at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Elbphilharmonie, the Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Dresden Music Festival, and the Prague Spring Festival. In addition to his work with Imani Winds, Brandon has collaborated with members of the Gryphon Trio, the New York Philharmonic, the Jasper String Quartet, and performed live on New York's WQXR with harpist Bridget Kibbey.
Prior to his solo career, Brandon performed as a guest with many of the world's leading ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Brandon performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall and at the Hollywood Bowl under conductors including Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, Karina Canellakis, Ludovic Morlot, and John Williams. Brandon has toured with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), appearing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), the Park Avenue Armory (NYC), and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in England. His time with the LA Phil and with ICE allowed him to work closely with some of the foremost composers of our time including John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Steve Reich, and George Lewis.
Brandon George trained at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the Conservatoire de Paris, and the Manhattan School of Music. He serves on the faculty of the Curtis Institute and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
TOYIN SPELLMAN-DIAZ (Oboist) grew up surrounded by her parent's enormous record collection in Washington, DC. It was there she absorbed the many layers of classical music's beauty and the inspiring and uniting potential of the world's diverse cultural landscape.
Ms. Spellman-Diaz earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and her Master's and Professional Studies degrees at the Manhattan School of Music. Her orchestral career includes performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Hailed by The Washington Post for her "smooth, controlled tone and excellent technique," Toyin has performed concertos with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Manhattan Virtuosi, and with the Kennedy Center Youth Orchestra.
An original member of Imani Winds, Ms. Spellman-Diaz has built her career as a champion of contemporary chamber music. Along with her Imani Winds colleagues, she is devoted to discovering new and diverse musical voices and cultures to increase and enhance the woodwind quintet repertoire. She has also collaborated with some of today's most influential chamber music ensembles, including Alarm Will Sound, the Antara Ensemble and Camerata Pacifica. Ms. Spellman-Diaz teaches at NYU Steinhardt School of Music, Brooklyn College, and Mannes School of Music. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Composers Orchestra.
MARK DOVER (Clarinetist) is a man of many horns, maintaining firm roots in classical music while ever-expanding into the vast world of improvised music.
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mark was privileged to grow up in a town with a strong commitment to arts education, and with parents who were passionate about the arts.
In addition to performing with Imani Winds, Mark is the clarinetist with Manhattan Chamber Players, who he tours with regularly. He has performed with the Detroit Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra at Kent Blossom Music Festival, The Knights, Nu Deco Ensemble, New World Symphony, The Spoleto Festival, Pacific Music Festival, and many other orchestras and festivals throughout the country.
Mark is on the clarinet faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and Queens College, CUNY. He joined the chamber music faculty at Curtis Institute of Music in 2021. He has conducted master classes at numerous academic institutions throughout the country, such as University of Michigan, Manhattan School of Music and the University of Texas at Austin.
In addition to his work in the classical world, Mark has an extensive background in jazz and improvised music. He formed the multi-genre duo Port Mande with pianist/producer Jeremy Jordan in 2017. Their debut EP Is This Loss? was released in July of 2020. A frequent collaborator with American funk band, Vulfpeck, Mark was featured as a performer and arranger on their highly acclaimed album Thrill of the Arts, and in 2019, played to a sold-out Madison Square Garden. He has performed and/or recorded with musicians of many different genres, including Jason Moran, Alicia Moran, Edward Simon, Brian Blade, Scott Colley, David Binney, Bernard Purdie, Cyrille Aimée, Lawrence, Darren Criss, Theo Katzman, Joey Dosik, Dave Malloy, Phillipa Soo, Kris Bowers, Michael Thurber, Charles Yang and many more.
A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, Mark received his Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music and his Bachelor of Music from the University of Michigan. His most influential teachers include David Krakauer, Deborah Chodacki, and Jay DeVries. He lives in New York City with his wife, soprano Faylotte Crayton, and his 3-year-old daughter Lulu.
KEVIN NEWTON (French Horn) is the newest member of Imani Winds. A native of South Boston, Virginia, he is a horn player and educator based in Manhattan. His first music teacher, his mother, instilled in him a love of music-making's collaborative spirit.
As a chamber musician, he has performed with Orchestra of St. Luke's, Metropolitan Horn Authority, Roomful of Teeth, and Tredici Bacci, among other ensembles. He has appeared professionally on the stages of Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and National Sawdust.
An advocate for new music, Mr. Newton collaborated with composer Erin Busch to premiere a solo work as a part of the Contemporary Performance Institute at the Composers Conference in 2020. He is involved with several commissions set to premiere in the 2021-22 season. Mr. Newton formerly served as principal horn of the Waynesboro Symphony and, as an orchestral soloist, he has performed works by Gordon Jacob, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Franz Strauss.
Mr. Newton enjoys a busy recording schedule and has recently recorded with Tredici Bacci, Metropolitan Horn Authority, Tex Crick, and Sami Stevens, as well as for commercial projects. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Stony Brook University. He holds a Master of Music degree in orchestral performance from Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a regular participant at Yellow Barn in Vermont.
Mr. Newton joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2021. He is also on the horn faculty of Manhattan School of Music's Precollege division and MSM Summer.
MONICA ELLIS (Bassoonist) is a founding member of Imani Winds, who in their 25th season continue to dazzle audiences with their dynamic playing, adventurous programming and commitment to outreach, new works and collaborations.
Monica's strong work ethic was instilled early on from her mother and father, the late jazz saxophonist, Clarence Oden. She is executive director and tour manager for Imani Winds, co-artistic director for the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival, and treasurer for the Imani Winds Foundation.
A self-proclaimed "band kid" growing up in her beloved city of Pittsburgh, Monica played clarinet, saxophone and piano. After being introduced to the bassoon in middle school, she began studying with Mark Pancerev, of the Pittsburgh Symphony and went on to receive her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, studying with George Sakakeeny. While at Oberlin, her desire to connect with others flourished through her participation in the Panama Project, a month-long camp for young Panamanian musicians. She received her Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School and Professional Studies Certificate from Manhattan School of Music in the Orchestral Performance Program, studying with Frank Morelli at both institutions.
Recording credits include nine albums with Imani Winds (Bright Shiny Things, Koch International Classics, EOne and EMI Classics). Monica can also be heard on: Edward Simon—Sorrows and Triumphs, Chick Corea—The Continents, Wayne Shorter Quartet—Without a Net, Mohammed Fairouz—Native Informant, Jeff Scott—Urban Classical Music Project, Brubeck Brothers Quartet—Classified, Steve Coleman—Ascension to Light, and Perspectives Ensemble—Montsalvatge Mardrigal.
A passionate teacher, she is on the faculty of Curtis Institute of Music and Manhattan School of Music and has been a visiting professor/faculty at The University of Chicago, Mannes School of Music and The Juilliard School's Music Advancement Program. Also a renowned clinician, she has given master classes and solo recital performances across the country.
She is a frequent commentator on critical issues of race, gender and entrepreneurship in classical music and serves on the advisory boards for Orchestra of St. Luke's Education Committee and Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition & Symposium for Women Bassoonists of the Americas, and is a board member of Concert Artists Guild and the International Double Reed Society.
Monica religiously watches Jeopardy!, loves home decorating and resides in the historic village of Harlem in New York City with the greatest joy of her life, her 8-year-old son, Oden.
