Monica Ellis

Monica Ellis is a GRAMMY® Award-winning, four-time nominated bassoonist and founding member of the acclaimed wind quintet Imani Winds. For nearly three decades, the ensemble has captivated audiences with dynamic performances, bold programming, new commissions, and educational outreach. Growing up, she studied with Mark Pancerev of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and later with George Sakakeeny at Oberlin Conservatory (BM) and Frank Morelli at The Juilliard School (MM) and Manhattan School of Music (PS). Passionate about entrepreneurship and representation in the arts, Ellis teaches at the Curtis Institute of Music and Manhattan School of Music. She is also the co-artistic and executive director of Imani Winds and its Chamber Music Festival and treasurer of the Imani Winds Foundation. The daughter of a jazz saxophonist and a fashion-forward mother, Ellis was raised in a household full of creativity, ambition, and style. She is a Fox Bassoon Artist, performing exclusively on a Model 201