Pittsburgh musician reflects on winning Grammy
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A musician from Pittsburgh's Hill District won a Grammy award last weekend.
Monica Ellis and her ensemble group, Imani Winds, took home the Best Classical Compendium award at the 2024 Grammys on Sunday.
Ellis, a bassoonist, attributes her passion for music to her father, who was a well-known saxophonist and jazz player in Pittsburgh.
"Coming up in the public school system in Pittsburgh, having my dad there as a foundation was a big, big part of my development," Ellis said.
A graduate of Schenley High School, Ellis attended Oberlin College and went on to study at The Juilliard School in Manhattan.
The bassoon was the instrument that struck a chord with Ellis. She performed with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the rest is history.
Ellis chose to name her quintet Imani Winds.
"We created a group that was particularly made up of musicians of color, all African American and Latina musicians," Ellis said.
She said winning the award is the culmination of nearly three decades of sacrifice, performing and creating music.
"We heard the name of our recording announced in that moment all three days ago on Sunday at the Grammy Awards ceremony, and we just yelled and screamed and ran up to them. It was just a spectacular moment," Ellis said.
Ellis said she wants to continue to perform and travel with her ensemble. She also wants to teach and guide the younger generation of musicians of color.
"Imani Winds media, it's a record label, it's a housing for creatives, for particularly young creatives, particularly of color, that are coming up just as we were all those years ago," Ellis said.
She is giving back to Pittsburgh by teaching at CAPA and performing in the city.
"Everything that Pittsburgh has fed into me is what I have grown and cultivated, and now it has created the person I am," she said.
