Mindi Acosta, flute
Mindi Acosta is a flutist, educator, and creative entrepreneur based in Tucson, bringing music to unexpected places and audiences. Whether performing in a Prince Tribute band at the Rialto Theatre, playing for a NASA launch party at the FOX Theatre, or performing as the piccoloist with the Sierra Vista Symphony, she loves making classical music feel fresh, exciting, and accessible. From intimate jazz clubs to concert halls, she believes music should meet people where they are.
As a performer, Mindi is an active member of Tucson Duo Project, Crowded Quartet, LendAnEar chamber ensemble, Tucson Repertory Orchestra, and the Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra. She has also played with the Tucson Chamber Orchestra, Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and Tucson Pops Orchestra. When she’s not on stage, you can find her sharing her music online with regular performance videos on Instagram and YouTube (@fluteloop).
A passionate advocate for music education, Mindi has given masterclasses and performed across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe, with highlights including the WASBE Festival in Switzerland, the International Music Festival in Alamos, Mexico, and National Flute Conventions in San Diego and San Antonio. She has also contributed to recording projects like Lullabies and Nightmares (Chris Black) and Music of Spain and South America (Allan Alexander).
Beyond performing and teaching, Mindi is the founder of Fluteloop LLC, where she helps musicians and small businesses with branding, marketing, photography, and multimedia design—combining her love of music with her eye for visuals.
She studied at the University of Arizona School of Music under Jean-Louis Kashy and remains deeply committed to inspiring the next generation of musicians while enriching her community through music and creativity.
Christian Hill, oboe
Christian Hill graduated from Northern Arizona University with Bachelor degrees in Music Education and Music Performance. As an undergraduate, Mr. Hill played professional oboe with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra for six years. After winning the 1994 NAU Solo Competition, Mr. Hill played with the Summer Festival Orchestra and for various musical productions. Christian Hill began playing for the Arizona Opera in Richard Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” in 1998, and performed as an oboe and English horn player for over ten years. While playing for “Sinfoni Da Chiesa” in the year 2000, Mr. Hill was introduced to members of the professional woodwind quintet, the “Foothills Chamber Ensemble,” from which he participated until 2010. In 2012, Mr. Hill became the founder of the Woodwind Quintet for the Tucson Repertory Orchestra. He is currently principal oboist of the Tucson Pops Orchestra, Lend an Ear Chamber Winds, and the Tucson Repertory Orchestra.
After completing his course work in music education, Mr. Hill was a student teacher for Chip Durham and William Bitter in the Gilbert School District, where he conducted Junior High Concert Bands, String Orchestras and the Highland High School Symphony Orchestra. After experiencing such a vast range of ensembles, Mr. Hill sought to incorporate such diversity at Richard B. Wilson K-8 School, offering Concert Band, String Orchestra, Jazz Band and Full Orchestra.
Wes Sansom, clarinet
Wes Sansom studied clarinet performance at San Diego State University in San Diego, California. While living in San Diego, he performed with the San Diego State Symphony Orchestra as co-principal and as principal clarinet for the San Diego Youth Symphony. After leaving San Diego, Wes moved to Denver, Colorado where he played principal with the Mostly Strauss Orchestra, the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra and the Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra.
While playing with the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra, Wes was given the opportunity to perform Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto at the orchestra’s inaugural concert and on tour with the orchestra in Italy. During his time with the Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra, he served on the orchestra’s board as their Treasurer and later as the Personnel Director. Wes was also one of the founding members of the Gossamer Winds Woodwind Quintet that performed in the Denver area.
Wes is now making music in the Tucson metro-area, having been a member of the Foothills Phil, and currently playing with the Tucson Repertory Orchestra and the Crowded Quartet. When not indulging his love of music, Wes is the Director of Accounting for Splendido at Rancho Vistoso.
Cassandra Bendickson, bassoon
Cassandra Bendickson is a freelance bassoonist and contrabassoonist based in Tucson, Arizona and teaches the largest bassoon studio in Southern Arizona. She currently performs with the Sedona Symphony, LuftBassoons, Tucson Duo Project, the Peregrine Rose Trio, the Ladies’ Reeding Society, as well as freelancing in orchestras across the southwestern United States. She holds an MA in bassoon performance from the University of Arizona and enjoys a busy schedule of teaching bassoon, reed making, performance, and ensemble coaching. An advocate for composers and new music, Ms. Bendickson won a sizable New Works grant in 2019 from the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona to fund brand new music for bassoon quartet by Tucson composers Jay Vosk, Marco Rosano, Russell Ronnebaum, Samantha Bounkeua, and Dante Rosano as a year-long project for the LuftBassoons Quartet. This project expanded beyond 2020 into international premieres at the 2021 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Virtual Symposium of Samantha Bounkeua‘s “OCEANS for Bassoon Quartet” and Jay Vosk‘s “Canción de Cuna” at the International Double Reed Society Convention in 2021. Current commissioning projects include collaborations for flute, contrabassoon, and piano as well as multiple bassoons with Becky Turro and Martin van Klompenberg.
In addition to her orchestral work, Ms. Bendickson has spent much of her career performing in chamber ensembles. She was a founding member of both the Maderas Bassoon Quartet, who made their IDRS debut in 2011, and the Zephyrus Reed Trio, who for over seven years played concerts and benefits throughout Southern Arizona, both groups combining the efforts of both the freelance and the symphony communities. She performed as both bassoon and contrabassoon for the premiere recording of David Maslanka’s “Mass”, and as bassoon for countless projects with ChamberLab, including a live, original soundtrack for Buster Keaton’s iconic film, “The General” and a live 24-hr fundraiser for the ACLU called “Vexathon” that raised over $16,000. Ms. Bendickson was a featured soloist in the Arizona premiere of David Finko’s “Concerto Grosso for flute, oboe, bassoon, and percussion”, and has performed concertos with the Catalina Chamber Orchestra, Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and most recently in 2019 with the Foothills Philharmonic. She has been featured on Chris Black’s CD “Lullabies and Nightmares”, Sandi Siegel’s “Dizzying Rain”, and Catherine Neville’s 2022 album, “Hold Your Center”. She performs yearly with the “Concierto sin Fronteras” in Douglas, Arizona, a concert performed simultaneously on both sides of the border, dedicated to uniting the United States and Mexico through the shared passion and connection of music.
Additionally, Cassandra Bendickson founded, directed, and curated a 10 concert series for the Tucson branch of the acclaimed Church of Beethoven concert series featuring concerts of music and spoken word by Tucson writers and musicians, which she looks forward to returning to soon. She is a member of the International Double Reed Society, MusicLink, and the Local 33 branch of the American Federation of Musicians union. Ms. Bendickson maintains a growing private lesson and reed studio, a busy freelancing schedule, and a home with a beloved family and many pets.
Eric Holm, horn
Eric Holm began his musical career at the age of 9, when he volunteered to play horn in 5th grade. He went to school in Minneapolis for photography and digital editing, and very quickly moved to Tucson after meeting his wife Sofia. Soon after he started playing with various groups around Tucson including Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra and Sierra Vista Symphony, and finally joined up with Tucson Repertory Orchestra in 2017.