Equinox Wind Quintet

January 16, 2027, 3:00 PM Waterbury Congregational Church Eleva presents the Equinox Wind Quintet. Featuring Laurel Ann Maurer, flute; Elise Conti, oboe; Matt Casazza, clarinet; Ron Wold, horn; and Molly Finkel, bassoon. Formed in 2024, Equinox Wind Quintet has established itself as a premier wind ensemble in Vermont. The quintet has performed at the UVM Recital Hall, the Burlington Center for the Arts, Sundays On The Hill (Weston, Vermont), and the Braintree Historical Society, among others. From performing on concert stages around the world to local shows, from meticulous studio recordings to jamming with friends, each member’s expertise combines to create a musical event enthusiastically appreciated by audiences all over Vermont. Lauded by The New York Times as “a secure technician and an assured communicative interpreter,” flutist Laurel Ann Maurer studied with Julius Baker, Jeanne Baxtresser and Samuel Baron and participated in master classes of Marcel Moyse. Among her 13 commercially released CDs are the Grammy Award-nominated “More American Flute Works” and the Jeff Mannokian “Flute Concerto.” Maurer has performed and given master classes throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia, including performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, and Khachaturian Hall in Yerevan, Armenia. She was principal flutist of the Salt Lake Symphony for 12 years and has more recently performed with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, and the Vermont Philharmonic, where she is principal flutist. She is also founder and artistic director of the celebrated chamber music series Vermont Virtuosi, a founding member of both the Vermont Virtuosi Flute Ensemble and PipeDreams, Vermont’s premiere flute quartet, and co-founder of Equinox Wind Quintet. A dedicated proponent of the Suzuki Method of music education and a teacher trainer, Maurer conducts seminars and teacher development courses all around the world. She maintains active teaching studios in Barre and Colchester, Vermont. Oboist Elise Conti received her bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music in 2019 and her master’s degree from the Yale School of Music in 2021. After graduation, Elise performed extensively with the Winston-Salem Symphony and Piedmont Opera Company in North Carolina, as well as with various chamber ensembles. Now a resident of Northeast Vermont, she performs regularly with groups in both Vermont and New Hampshire, including the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Dartmouth Orchestra, and Burlington Choral Society. In 2024, Elise co-founded the Equinox Wind Quintet, which performs across Vermont and has been featured on Vermont Public Classical. Elise is also an enthusiastic music educator and maintains a private oboe studio, teaching both virtual students spanning the country and local students in Vermont and New Hampshire. Matthew Casazza is an active performer in the New England area, playing clarinet with several local Vermont orchestras and bands, as well as a variety of woodwind instruments for musicals. He currently teaches woodwind students throughout Vermont, as well as masterclasses and sectionals to musicians of all ages. Matthew received his master’s degree at the University of North Texas, where he studied under Dr. Kim Cole Luevano and performed with the renowned North Texas Wind Symphony. Matthew is also a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he studied under Dr. Elizabeth Gunlogson. During this time, he spent two summers in Berlin, Germany, studying at the prestigious Bethanien Kunstlerhaus. Matthew lives in the Burlington area of Vermont with his husband, dog and cat, and enjoys hiking in the woods and mountains. Hornist Ron Wold has had an extensive career as a freelance musician, traveling many thousands of miles to play music of all kinds. He has appeared in countless orchestras, recording sessions, chamber groups, and solo performances. He has appeared on movie soundtracks, jazz albums, live with rock bands, and in the pit for shows, ballets and operas. He has premiered a number of new pieces written for him and has participated in many groups performing new music. He studied music at the New England Conservatory, San Diego State University, and the Pierre Monteux School in Hancock, Maine. Since moving to Northern New England, he has continued to travel and play frequently while also getting to indulge his interest in tractors, skiing, metalworking and talking to poultry. Molly Finkel earned a degree in bassoon performance from Miami University of Ohio. Originally from northern New Hampshire, she became a Vermont resident in 2021. Currently, Molly holds the position of bassoon instructor at the University of Vermont and Upper Valley Music Center in Lebanon, N.H., and also teaches young musicians affiliated with the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association. She performs all over New England – from playing in pit bands to subbing