Elise Maas
Originally from the island of ‘Oahu, Elise Maas is a devoted violinist and musician with nearly a decade of experience in the music field.
Elise is a dedicated orchestral musician and has performed with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, the San Antonio Philharmonic, and is a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. During summers, she has participated in festivals such as the Cactus Pear Music Festival, Credo Music Festival, Round Top Institute of Music, and Meadowmount School of Music. Elise is also an avid supporter of contemporary works and premiered Juan Pablo Contreras’ Son Jarocho, premiered Mitch Gilly’s Covid Commission during the pandemic in 2020, and recorded for DaVinci Street Production’s narrative film Provenance (2024).
Elise has been awarded various scholarships and awards for her work as a violinist. These include winning the Semper Pro Chamber Music Competition at Baylor University, being a recipient of a Coda Bow in the CodaBow Diamond NX 25 for 25, earning the Music Incentive Talent Scholarship, President’s Scholarship, and Academic Honor Award from her undergraduate school, and holding the concertmaster title for various school and festival orchestras. Elise has studied with several pedagogues including the former San Antonio Symphony concertmaster Eric Gratz, and she has participated in master classes with University of Michigan’s Andrew Jennings and Philedalphia Orchestra’s concertmaster David Kim. She has also worked under conductors such as Carl St. Clair, Hannu Lintu, Ken-David Masur, and Christian Arming.
In recent years, Elise has developed enthusiasm for the administrative side of music. She has served as the Office Manager for the Baylor University School of Music as well as the Financial Assistant for the DePaul School of Music. Currently, Elise holds the seasonal position of Manager of Artistic Operations at the Meadowmount School of Music.
Elise completed her Bachelor’s of Music at Baylor University studying with Dr. Eka Gogichashvili and her Master’s of Music at DePaul University studying with I-Hao Lee. She is currently completing her Certificate in Violin Performance at DePaul University. In her spare time, Elise enjoys reading novels, writing, cooking, and going on runs along Lake Michigan.
