Members

Katherine Cox. flute

Katherine Cox is currently finalizing her Masters of Music degree in flute performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University, Long Beach. Ms Cox grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska where she began her studies in flute with Dorli McWayne, professor of flute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. After leaving Alaska, she picked the second coldest state Minnesota and received her Bachelors of Music degree at Concordia College in Moorhead, studying under Deborah Harris. While attending Concordia she held principal positions of the Concordia College Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Flute Choir, all of which she soloed with while attending Concordia.

In fall of 2006, Ms Cox moved to warmer climates and started her masters at California State University, Long Beach studying under John Barcellona. While in attendance, Ms Cox was associate principal of the CSULB Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, and on scholarship playing in the Bob Cole Conservatory Wind Quintet. Other primary teachers in her studies have included Heather Clark, Susan Greenberg, and Rena Urso-Trapani.

Ms Cox has also performed with the Fargo/Moorhead Opera Company, Fairbanks Flutists, the National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir, and is the flutist in her quintet: Quintessential Winds. She has attended Interlochen Arts Camp, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, the Beverly Hills Chamber Music Festival, and was recently invited with her quintet as fellows of the 2010 Chamber Music Institute at University of Nebraska. Lincoln. She has performed and been a finalist in several National Flute Association Conventions and recently performed Russ Peterson’s Trio for Flute, AltoSax, and Piano at the 2011 regional National Association of Saxophone Alliance in Las Vegas. She has performed and attended workshops/ masterclasses with Alexa Still, William Bennett, Jeanne Baxtresser, Robert Langevin, and Carol Wincenc.
Residing in the Los Angeles area, Ms Cox teaches flute in several schools districts and music schools including Diamond Bar High School, Amuse Music Center, and Bethseda University in Anaheim. In summer of 2010 she was the assistant flute teacher at Idyllwild Arts Camp.

Maralynne Mann. oboe

Maralynne Mann is a freelancing oboist and instructor in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Ms. Mann graduated Cum Laude from Chapman University in 2003 with a degree in Oboe performance. While at Chapman, she studied with Leslie Reed and held the principal chair in the orchestra for her entire time as a student. Ms. Mann has also completed coursework for a master’s degree in oboe performance at the Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach where she studied with studio professional Joe Stone, held principal positions in all ensembles, and participated in masterclasses with John Mack and David Weiss.

As a performer, Ms. Mann plays with many of the areas regional and collegiate orchestras. Recently, she was principal oboist with the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization where she played multiple sold-out performances in Orange County’s Segerstrom Hall. Additionally, she frequents the orchestra pits of local opera and musical theater companies across Southern-California.

Ms. Mann is also a passionate music educator with a studio of nearly thirty private students. She currently teaches oboe, piano, clarinet, and flute to students who have participated in the SCSBOA “All-southern” ensembles, the South Coast Youth Symphony Orchestra and many other youth ensembles in the Southern-California area.

Mark Alpizar. clarinet

Mark Alpizar is a clarinetist, conductor, and music educator in the Los Angeles and Orange County area. He earned his two Bachelor of Music degrees in Clarinet Performance and Music Education in 2010 from the Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach where he studied clarinet with Dr. Michael Grego of the LA Opera, and conducting with Dr. Johannes Muller-Stosch. During his studies, he was the principal clarinetist of the Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchesta, University Wind Quintet, and was the conductor for the Composition Guild, Tuba Choir, and the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Men's Chorus.

Mr. Alpizar conducts many of the areas finest youth ensembles. He is the associate conductor of the South Coast Youth Symphony Orchestra, La Primavera of the Four Seasons Youth Orchestras, and the Orange County Youth Wind Symphony. He also conducts the Collegium Musicum orchestra at CSULB and formerly conducted the West Coast Wind Symphony in 2006. In 2009, his conducting led him to Spain where he conducted three concerts and a radio broadcast. This summer he will lead orchestras in tours to England and New York. Mr. Alpizar also coaches for the Downey, Cerritos, Rosemead, La Sierra, Magnolia, and Irvine High Schools in the Southern-California area.
Mr. Alpizar is an avid chamber musician, performing with both the Quintessential Winds, as well as the new-music ensemble, In-Verse. he frequently subs in many of the area's orchestras and feelances as an orchestral player. His private clarinet students have been participants in the SCSBOA "All-Southern" middle school and high school ensembles. They have also held principal positions in youth orchestras such as South Coast Youth Symphony Orchestra, La Primavera, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, Orange County Youth Wind Symphony, Pasadena Youth Wind Emsemble, Olendorf Youth Orchestra, and in district honor bands as far south as Capistrano Valley and as far north as Pasadena.

Adrian Dunker. horn

Adrian Dunker graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2008 with a BA in French horn Performance, holding the principal chair horn for a majority of his time as a student. He is an active member in many chamber ensembles, such as the Quintessential Winds, Pacific Brass, multiple brass quintets, and horn quartets.

As an active freelancer, Adrian plays regularly with the Burbank Philharmonic, The Orchestra of Baja California, and many other local orchestras: including the American Youth Symphony, the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, Montage Civic Orchestra, Musical Theater West, and Fullerton Civic Light Opera. Adrian was a member of the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra for six years, three as principal, and toured Europe performing throughout Italy, Austria, and Hungary. He was awarded the Richard Steinkoenig award for his contribution to that ensemble.

Adrian began arranging and composing music in high school for various ensembles and has had many of his works performed at California State University, Long Beach. In 2009, Adrian received an award from the United States Army, 25th Infantry Division Band for his musical arrangements, which were performed by the Army’s brass quintet. Adrian composed and arranged over an hour of music for the California Police Chief's Association's 2011 Fallen Officer Tribute, making the front page of the OC Register. Also performing, he played for California Governor Jerry Brown, CA Attorney General, approximately 200 police chiefs, and news anchor Pat Harvey. Currently, he is working on commissions for his chamber ensembles and composing his first tone poem for orchestra.

Elizabeth Gutierrez. bassoon

Elizabeth Gutierrez began her bassoon studies with Dr. Carolyn Beck, at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) where she intensively studied theory, was first bassoonist in the symphony orchestra and where her love of chamber music began. She began working, as a freshman, with Artistic Journeys, a non-profit arts organization that brings arts to underprivileged communities, as a mentor in their chamber orchestra, the Linnaea Orchestra, and also was an original member in the Linaea Wind Quintet, which performed for several organizations in southern California including the League of Women Voters. While at LACHSA she was also involved in several youth orchestras around southern California, including the Olympia Youth Orchestra (OYO), in which she held the principal position for five years, and Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra (CYMO), and toured to the Sarasota Music festival with CYMO where she was able to study with Frank Morelli. Her senior year she played the Stamitz double concerto for Clarinet and Bassoon with OYO and was also the recipient of the Takaguchi scholarship from Artistic Journeys, which provided her with her very own bassoon to continue her studies in college. She also had the honor of being accepted into the Young Musicians Foundation woodwind quintet where they were coached by oboist David Weiss, then principal oboist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
She went on to continue her studies in bassoon with Michele Grego, second bassoonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach (BCCM), where she received a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon performance. While at BCCM she held principal positions in the top band; Wind Symphony with whom she toured to Reno, Colorado, Fresno and Salt Lake City, and the University Symphony Orchestra. She was also a member of the University Wind Quintet where she met her fellow colleagues of the now Quintessential Winds.
Recently she has held both second and principal positions in the Bellflower Symphony, Orange County Wind Symphony. She was also a member of the pit orchestra for the re-inaugural season of the Intimate Opera Company, as well as having the honor of performing for the California Police Chiefs Association, fallen officer tribute and banquet. She is also a sub for the Cypress Symphony, Orange County Symphony and Debut Orchestra, a part of the Young Musician’s foundation.
As well as her career as a freelance bassoonist Miss Gutierrez also manages the Orange County Youth Wind Symphony and has been teaching young bassoonist for 8 years and has been the bassoon instructor at the summer program Wildwood Institute of Music and Art. Seven of her students have gone on to study bassoon at LACHSA.