In 2019, the internationally acclaimed woodwind quintetImani Winds incorporated as the non-profit Imani Winds Foundation, initiating a shift in focus from solely a chamber music ensemble to a multifaceted organization that provides a platform for artists from all disciplines and backgrounds.
It became apparent that there is a gap of exclusivity with so-called “high art” and music in the stories that are told, the people who are telling them, and the audiences for which it is intended. In order for art to be relevant to the times in which we live, it has to re-examine itself from all of these facets. These needs call for a diversity of creators, performers, listeners, and stories.
Now, as the Imani Winds Foundation has been so successful in its support of Imani Winds’ activities, the Foundation itself is looking to support more talented artists, especially artists of color, to finance Imani Winds’ media projects, and to reach audience members beyond the scope of Imani Winds.
Imani Winds Foundation has launched a new branch of the organization: a media company called Imani Winds Media (IWM) which assists musicians of color in the creation of recordings, podcasts, and videos as well as be the producer and home of Imani Winds’ media.
IWM seeks out, advises, and mentors musicians of color in and around classical music who want to produce recordings, podcasts, and music videos. IWM connects them with producers and engineers who will record or film, edit, and finish their projects. All media produced will be exclusively owned by the artists themselves, with no share taken by the media company.
After the media is produced, IWM releases the recordings either in printed or digital format, and if necessary, connect them to a marketing or PR firm, and consult with the artists on how to best tie the project into their overall careers. The projects will then be housed on IWM’s website portal for sale or streaming for consumers.
LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR DREAM PROJECT!
MEET THE TEAM
Monica Ellis
Co-Artistic and Administrative Director
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, Monica 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, Monica was raised in a household full of creativity, ambition, and style. She is a Fox Bassoon Artist, performing exclusively on a Model 201.
Brandon Patrick George
Co-Artistic and Administrative Director
Brandon Patrick George, hailed as a “knockout musician with a gorgeous sound” by The Philadelphia Inquirer, is a leading flute soloist and Grammy® Award-winning chamber musician whose repertoire extends from the Baroque era to today. He is the flutist of Imani Winds and has appeared as a soloist with the Atlanta and Baltimore Symphonies, American Composers Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, among others.
Brandon’s solo performances include appearances at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Tippet Rise. In September 2023, his latest album, Twofold, was released on In a Circle Records. Mr. George’s debut solo album, released in 2020 on Haenssler Classics. He was featured in an article inThe New York Times which described the album as “a program that showcases the flute in all its wit, warmth and brilliance."
Brandon has long been active in the fields of music curation and production. Fresh out of conservatory, he worked as a production assistant and programmer for WQXR, where he returned as part of the inaugural class of WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab. Most notably he was an assistant producer for the Beautiful Symphony of Brotherhood: A Musical Journey Into the Life of Martin Luther King.
Raised by a single mother in Dayton, OH, Brandon is the proud product of public arts education. Brandon is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music. He serves on the faculty of the Curtis Institute and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.