Elise Wagner (Bassoon) joined the Houston Symphony Orchestra in 2008. She has had numerous recording releases in the past two years under the direction of Andrés Orozco Estrada, and has played hundreds of concerts with the symphony under some of the best conductors in the world. She has been invited to participate in music festivals during the summer with members of other major orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Metropolitan Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony. She also performs regularly with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She performed one season with the Sarasota Opera company before joining the Houston Symphony. In addition to teaching at UH, Ms. Wagner is on faculty of the Texas Music Festival and the American Festival of the Arts. Ms. Wagner has also traveled to Colombia to coach the Filarmónica Joven de Colombia. In addition to classical music, Ms. Wagner actively collaborates with chamber and modern music programs. One highlight was a world premiere with the Foundation of Modern Music with performances in Houston and New York City. In June of 2017, Ms. Wagner and two other Houston Symphony musicians traveled to England and Germany with the Mayor of Houston to help promote the city of Houston and the Houston Symphony. The highlight was performing a concert at Felix Mendelssohn's home in Leipzig, Germany for Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Mayor of Leipzig. Ms. Wagner earned her bachelor's degree from Temple University in 2004 and master's degree in 2007 from Carnegie Mellon University. Her main teachers are Nancy Goeres (principal Bassoon Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) and Daniel Matsukawa (principal Bassoon Philadelphia Orchestra). Ms. Wagner joined the Moores School of Music faculty in 2010.