Wind Quintet | New England Conservatory

Aimee Toner (flute), Benjamin Cruz (clarinet), Nathalie Vela (oboe), T.J. Vculek (bassoon), and Sophie Steger (horn) from the New England Conservatory will perform as a wind quintet as part of the Boston Public Library's Never Too Late Group series created with older adults in mind. Following the concert, there will be time for an audience Q&A.

Aimee Toner, flute

Flutist Aimee Toner is dedicated to expanding the scope and accessibility of recorded, taught, and performed music. Toner made her solo debut with the Columbia University Orchestra in April of 2019, where she performed “Poem” for flute and orchestra as the winner of the 2018 concerto competition. Toner’s ensemble experience has involved serving as the principal flutist and piccolo player in a variety of orchestras including the New York Youth Symphony, the New Amsterdam Opera, and the Claremont Chamber Orchestra, and collaborating in chamber groups that have ranged from jazz trios in Italian restaurants to wind quintets on stage at Carnegie Hall. As a solo artist, Aimee headlined a contracted recital series along the East Coast before the onset of COVID-19, where she performed in St. Simons Georgia and Jamestown, NY.

Benjamin Cruz, clarinet

Recognized for his musical accomplishments and his passion for teaching and community outreach engagements, Benjamin Cruz is a professional clarinetist based in Boston, MA. He is currently pursuing his Graduate Diploma in Clarinet Performance at the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Thomas Martin. Most recently, Cruz was awarded the clarinet fellowship position with the New World Symphony located in Miami, FL. There he will be performing under the baton of world-renowned Michael Tilson-Thomas starting in the Fall of 2022. Additionally, Cruz is a current member with the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra as well as an active substitute member with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. He also has served as an associate member with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for two consecutive years.

Nathalie Vela, oboe

Nathalie Graciela Vela is currently a masters student at the New England Conservatory studying with the principal of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, John Ferrillo. Vela has had all of her training through the John Mack tradition, which she is extremely proud and thankful for. During her undergraduate degree she attended the Jacobs School of Music where she studied with Linda Strommen. Ms. Vela is originally from San Antonio, TX, where she found her true love for her community. She uses this skill of encouraging a culture of togetherness in all the ensembles she’s in and believes in the power of self-liberation.

T.J. Vculek, bassoon

At age 15, bassoonist T.J. Vculek made his professional performance debut in the Hilbert Circle Theatre, performing Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, in a side-by-side performance with the Indianapolis Symphony. He continues to perform with many premier musical groups throughout the state and country. Vculek previously studied with Mark Ortwein, assistant principal bassoonist of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and has performed for acclaimed artists such as Elise Wagner, Ivy Ringel, Judith Farmer, Kathleen McLean, Suzanne Nelson, Marc Golberg, Richard Ranti, Fei Xie, and Christopher Marshall. He has also served as principal bassoonist of all the Jacobs School of Music and New England Conservatory orchestras under esteemed conductors such as Hugh Wolff, David Loebel, Thomas Wilkins, Arthur Fagan, David Neely, Carl St. Clair, and Stuart Chafetz. Notable performances as acting principal bassoonist include Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart’s Le Nozza di Figaro, Carl Nielson’s 4th Symphony “Inextinguishable,” Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, and Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin. Vculek has performed in multiple recitals and concerts ranging from standard bassoon repertoire, orchestral works, and new music composed by Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and NEC colleagues.

Sophie Steger, horn

Sophie Steger is a student and a freelance horn player in Boston. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree at New England Conservatory, where she studies with Rachel Childers of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. A Chicago native, Sophie graduated from Northwestern University in 2020 with her Bachelor of Music in French horn performance, having studied with Gail Williams and Jonathan Boen. Sophie is thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with the Boston community through performing with this woodwind quintet!

Registration is not required, but please note that the capacity is of the Newsfeed Café currently 147 people. Guests will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants are not allowed to bring outside food or beverage into the Café but are not required to order food or drink to attend the concert, which is free and open to the public.

About the BPL's COVID-19 health and safety protocols:

• Program attendees are recommended to wear masks covering the nose and mouth.
• Read the BPL's latest COVID-19 guidelines for visiting the library.
• Program performers will remove their masks during the program.

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