Elizabeth Gutierrez - Secretary

Elizabeth Gutierrez began her bassoon studies at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where she studied bassoon with Dr. Carolyn Beck. During her time there, she participated in masterclasses with internationally acclaimed musicians, formed the Linnaea Wind Quintet, and played principal bassoon in many of Los Angeles’ fine youth orchestras. She continued her bassoon studies at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach where she studied with Michelle Grego. While at CSULB, she played principal bassoon in all ensembles and met her colleagues who would form the Quintessential Winds. With the Quintessential Winds, Ms. Gutierrez was a finalist in the Beverly Hills National Audition two years in a row and a semi-finalist in the Plowman Chamber Music Competition in 2011. Her passion for chamber music has led her to perform with the Orchestra Santa Monica Wind Quintet, for the last 13 years. In 2022, the OSM wind quintet performed a free community concert of all Latin American music presented by Ms. Gutierrez in both English and Spanish.

A busy freelancer, Ms. Gutierrez has performed with the Orchestra Santa Monica, Bakersfield Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, The Riverside Lyric Opera, Golden State Pops, South-East Symphony, the Intimate Opera Company, Los Angeles Doctors Symphony, La Mirada, and many others. 

In 2022, Ms. Gutierrez was invited to be a Seminarista at Quinteto Latino's third Seminario, abiennial conference of Latino musicians from around the United States, exploring the intersections of identity, artistry, and racial equity in the classical music field.She actively participates in racial diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility workshops and is a serving member of the CSULB College of the Arts Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility. She is participated  in the  Conductors for Change's inaugural IdeaLab, titled Understanding Inequity in Symphonic Music through Three Different Lenses: Black and African Americans, Physical Disability, and Indigenous Peoples, as well as the Los Angeles County Arts Datathon focusing on Geography for Arts and Culture Narrative Building and Advocacy.

In 2025, Ms. Gutierrez graduated with a Master of Arts in Equity, Education, and Social Justice at California State University, Long Beach, with an emphasis in Global Education. Her thesis titled “‘Navigating is Challenging the System’: Transformative Resistance and the Experience of Latiné Classical Musicians in Community Music Programs” was published in August 2025. She hopes to assist music programs by incorporating culturally sustaining and representing pedagogies that will allow marginalized students to learn music in an environment that is understanding of their various cultural backgrounds, traditions, and social dynamics.

Along with her busy career as a freelance musician, Ms. Gutierrez is the Personnel & Program Coordinator at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, at California State University, Long Beach. Since 2021, she has been studying vihuela and rediscovering her cultural identity through performing mariachi music, a passion that has allowed her to perform alongside her daughter, mother and father.