Daniel Velasco is an award-winning flutist whose "standout" and "vibrant" performances (Miami Herald) have taken him around the world. He is the first prize winner of the National Flute Association's Young Artist Competition, WAMSO Minnesota Orchestra Competition, MTNA Young Artist Competition, Claude Monteux Flute Competition, second prize winner of the William C. Byrd Competition and finalist at the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh International Competition. 

He has been a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador, Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra, Luciano Carrera Chamber Orchestra, University of Akron Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, and has been featured as a guest performer at the Schubert Club Series in Saint Paul, the Indy Flute Festival in Indianapolis, the MidSouth Flute Festival, the Middle Tennessee Flute Festival in Nashville, the University of North Florida, the Florida Flute Association Convention, the Swedish Flute Association Convention, the Guadalajara-Mexico “Vientos de Otoño Festival,” the "Festival Internacional de Flautistas en la Mitad del Mundo" in Ecuador, and the National Flute Association Conventions in Kansas City, New Orleans, Chicago and Orlando. 

Orchestral festivals include the Latin American Orchestra, Chautauqua Music Festival, Orchestra de la Francophonie, Utah Festival Opera, as well as tours through Chile and Central America with the Orchestra of the Americas. He has performed under Carlos Prieto, Gustavo Dudamel, Claudio Abbado, Ben Zander, Jean-Philippe Tremblay, Jacomo Bairos, Ramón Tebar, Cristian Macelaru, Carl St. Clair, and others. 

An active freelancer, he has been a member of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Symphony, and has performed with Boca Sinfonia, Michigan Philharmonic, Akron Symphony, Pittsburgh Opera and Kansas City Symphony. He was a member of the Solaris woodwind quintet for two seasons, and is a founding member of the Miami-based NuDeco Ensemble.

Velasco earned a doctoral degree from the University of Miami-Frost School of Music, and holds degrees from the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Northern Iowa. His main teachers include Angeleita Floyd, Marianne Gedigian, Amy Porter and Trudy Kane.

He served on the faculty at the University of Akron from 2016-2018 and is currently a flute professor at the University of Kansas. He is a Yamaha performing artist.    

Pianist Ellen R. Sommer has quickly established a reputation as a much sought-after collaborative pianist, chamber musician, and coach. She performs extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Central and South Americas, Europe and Asia. Most recent engagements have included concerts and master classes at Universidad de Costa Rica Conservatory in San Jose, Costa Rica. Additionally, Ellen traveled to Tokyo with the Allegresse trio, premiering two new pieces at the International Double Reed Society conference.

Sommer often serves as a pianist for regional, national and international competitions and festivals, as well as recital series and radio broadcasts. Sommer is a frequent performer in the live broadcast studio at Kansas Public Radio. Additionally Sommer coaches and performs for several summer camps and institutes, including the Omaha Conservatory of Music Institute, BLYAP and Sound Encounters Suzuki Strings camp in Ottawa, Kansas, Midwestern Music Camp in Lawrence, Kansas, and Interlochen Academy in Michigan.

Recently Sommer was awarded a prestigious honor as a 2016 Distinguished Alumni from Missouri Western State University in Saint Joseph, MO.

Sommer is a founding member of Allegresse, a fresh and inspiring trio for flute, oboe and piano.  Recently the trio was invited to present a recital and master classes at the Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, California. Allegresse is currently completing a third CD recording and preparing for a March 2017 premiere of two new works for the trio, including soprano.

Sommer has collaborated on numerous professional recordings, including four under the auspices of Potenza Records.  Most recently, Sommer recorded works of composer, Ingrid Stolzel for the Parma label.

Sommer currently serves as a lecturer in piano at the University of Kansas School of Music.  She performs regularly with faculty, visiting artists, and students. From 1994-2003 Sommer taught at Missouri Western State University, both as piano and voice faculty.