Elisha K. Wells is the Director of Band, Brass and Orchestra at Fresno City College. Prior to serving at FCC, Elisha was Horn Instructor and Lecturer at Sacramento State, Stanislaus State, Delta College, College of Sequoias (Visalia & Hanford), Conductor of the Visalia Opera Company, and was Horn Faculty at Cazadero Music Camp (2015-2019). Ms. Wells currently plays Principal Horn in Sequoia Symphony, Wind Symphony of Clovis, and regularly performs as Acting Principal with the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra. Elisha studied at Chapman University in Orange, CA and University of Houston in Houston, TX briefly. However, her formal studies include a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts with an emphasis in Horn Performance from California State University, Fresno (2009).
Her conducting career began in 2012 with Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Bizet’s Carmen, and an original Mariachi Opera with Visalia Opera Company. In the summer of 2014, she conducted a professionally-cast production of Les Miserable with the League of Christian Actors in Visalia, CA. Beginning in 2015, Ms. Wells has been invited to adjudicate and guest conduct around the state. She has served as the Guest Conductor for FMCMEA (Fresno-Madera), TKMEA (Tulare/Kings), SCMEA (Stanislaus), and Sonoma County (Capitol Section CMEA) Junior High and High School Honor Ensembles. In Summer 2022, Elisha was invited to Guest Conduct the Sutherland Winds and perform as a Horn Soloist for the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference in Prague, Czech Republic.
Elisha has been an active horn soloist and freelance artist for over 20 years. Earlier in her career, Elisha performed as a horn soloist and dancer in the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, “Blast!”, traveling around the United States and performing in large venues for 2 years. She also competed with a group called The Edge for the nationally televised show called America’s Got Talent in New York. Ms. Wells has performed throughout California and Nevada, Walt Disney World in Florida, Australia, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Ms Wells readily performs solos throughout the west coast with groups including Sequoia Symphony, Kingsburg Community Band, Stanislaus Community Band, and the Wind Symphony of Clovis. Additionally, she has played in accompanying orchestras for world-renown artists such as Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Renée Fleming, Andrea Bocelli, Jackie Evancho, Branford Marsalis, Juan Diego Florez, Sarah Chang, Jon Nakamatsu, Airborne Toxic Event, and Mannheim Steamroller. Ms. Wells is also a noted Artist and Endorser of Robinson’s Remedies-Lip Renew.
Elisha is an active faculty member at Fresno City College, and is a patron, supporter, educator and adjudicator within California's music community. She is currently the President of CMEA Central Section, Past President of Friends of the Arts at FCC, and serves on the Sequoia Symphony Board. Elisha regularly adjudicates Solo and Ensemble festivals regionally and state-wide, All-State & Regional Honor Band auditions, and presents clinics on Best Practices for Horn Players and Teaching Horn for Ensemble Directors. She also is a current member of the Local 12 Musicians Union, NAfME, CBDNA, and the International Horn Society. Ms. Wells has been a presenter at the California All-State Conference (CASMEC) and will be returning in 2024 as the Guest Conductor for the Reading Band Session, as well as presenting in a collaborative discussion with Choral Music Education colleagues.
Elisha has maintained an active teaching studio called the Happy Horn Studio for over 15 years. She teaches horn students from Visalia, Fresno, Clovis, Modesto, Sacramento, and coastal areas. Her students achieve All-State and Regional Honor Band chairs each year and have been awarded full scholarships to the Kendall-Betts Horn Camp, Cazadero Music Camp, Sequoia Lake Music Camp, National Symphony Youth Fellowships, Interlochen Summer Institutes, Tanglewood Horn NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles, and local citizenship awards for contribution to the arts.
Ms. Wells feels fortunate to have studied with world-class hornists such as Brian Drake (LA Phil), Nancy Goodearl (Houston Symphony), Dr. Tom Hiebert (Fresno State), David Krehbiel (San Francisco Symphony), and conductors such as Dr. Larry Sutherland.