Wass-Esslinger Duo is Sarah Wass, Flute and Traci Esslinger, Piano
Sarah Wass and Traci Esslinger received their MFAs at California Institute of the Arts where they first met in 2005, rehearsing for Messiaen's piano concerto, Oiseaux Exotiques. It was immediately clear that they were kindred musical spirits and, shortly thereafter, were both hired for the ensemble Inauthentica's residency at Stanford University. Since then, Sarah and Traci have produced themed chamber music concerts presented at Brand Library and Art Center and the Ojai Art Center Chamber Music Concert Series, and have performed together at Chapman University and the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, and are a regularly featured duo on Pasadena Presbyterian Church's Music at Noon Concerts.
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Sarah Wass, FluteFlutist Sarah Wass chose her instrument in the third grade because she knew it would fit in her backpack. Since then, she has become a busy performer, teacher and advocate for arts education. As a soloist, Sarah has recorded concerti by Mozart and Quantz and sonatas by J.S. Bach for the “Modulations” music therapy series by Tempo Space Productions. As a new music specialist, Sarah has had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading composers including Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, John Luther Adams, Anne LeBaron, Christopher Cerrone, Frank Denyer, Roger Reynolds, Liviu Marinescu and Mark Trayle. She has been an artist-in-residence at the University of Surrey, Stanford University and Dartington International Summer School of the Arts and has performed at the Ojai Festival. Sarah regularly performs chamber music with her husband, guitarist Steven Thachuk and is proud to have performed in all of the operas created by The Industry. As a versatile recording artist, she can be heard on recordings by pop artists A Fine Frenzy, Bright Eyes, numerous independent film scores and recent opera recordings from The Industry. She currently serves as National Program Director for Harmony Project of America. Sarah holds a BM from Oberlin Conservatory and an MFA from California Institute of the Arts.
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Traci Esslinger, PianoPianist Traci Esslinger is a Los Angeles native committed to the exploration of contemporary as well as traditional repertoire. She has performed with the California EAR Unit, Inauthentica, Nimbus Ensemble, and CalArts New Century Players at venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, REDCAT, The Skirball Cultural Center, L.A. County Museum of Art, The Getty Center, and the Zipper Auditorium in festivals such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic Minimalist Jukebox, (Rajikaru!) Experimentations in Japanese Art, Synaesthesia Festival, the Banff Chamber Music Festival, and Made in California, among others. She has worked with leading contemporary composers such as: James Newton, Anne LeBaron, David Rosenboom, Roger Reynolds, Liviu Marinescu, Mark Trayle, John Kennedy and Ulrich Krieger. Her work is currently featured on the 2015 release of David Rosenboom's "Naked Curvature: Four Memories of the Daimon" on the Tzadik label. Traci holds a Master’s of Fine Arts degree in piano performance from California Institute of the Arts as well as a Master’s of Music in composition and a Bachelor's degree in piano performance from California State University, Los Angeles. In addition to performing, she maintains a lively piano studio based in Los Feliz.
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