2022 Ms. Senior California Pageant Queen

Cynthia (Cindy) Ellis is a native of California who was born in Santa Monica on one of the hottest days in December 1958. She is a member of the Pacific Symphony, playing solo piccolo since 1979. Her performance credits also include Los Angeles Music Center Opera, Pasadena Chamber Orchestra, and the Cabrillo Music Festival in Santa Cruz, California. She was appointed as Principal Flutist of the Opera Pacific Company in 1995, a position she held until the company’s closing in 2009. She has recorded with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra as well as on several major motion picture soundtracks.

Chamber music is a passion: She won the National Flute Associations Chamber Music Competition in 2000 with her trio, Les Amis Musicalles. They later went on to record their debut CD, Beyond Beethoven, to critical acclaim. Her flute and harp duo, Arioso, released their CD in 2016, called Petite Delights: Romantic Music for Flute and Harp which is also available thru on line platforms. Currently Cindy is actively concertizing with the trio Synergy, who were featured artists at the Music Teachers Association of California annual convention held this past July, 2021.

Music Education is an important facet of Cindy’s career. She served on the adjunct faculty at CSU Fullerton from 1985-2011 and currently teaches at Vanguard University. She leads Laguna Flutes, a 20 member chamber music group, who were selected by audition to perform at the National Flute Association’s convention in August 2021. She has given piccolo masterclasses at the International Piccolo Symposium and was in residence at the Victoria Conservatory of Music in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, in 2016. She wrote the piccolo column for Flute Talk magazine for many years and loved putting pen to paper each month. As a volunteer, Cindy has been the Chairperson of the National Flute Association’s Annual Convention in 2010 held in Anaheim, CA. She has received many awards, including Music Associates Outstanding Student of the Year upon completion of Graduate work at her alma mater, CSU Fullerton, The John and Mary Virginina Foncannon Chamber Music Scholarship from Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation in 2007, and was honored as one of OC Metro Magazine’s “Ten Women Making a Difference” in March 2002 for her work in the field of music education.

Cindy is married to the love of her life, Tony Ellis, a trumpet player in the Pacific Symphony. They enjoy reading, being very active members at First Presbyterian Church of Fullerton, and also taking performance driving classes together at the Derek Daily Academy. Cindy volunteers for Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue, and they have adopted a few dogs that they have fostered.

Cindy is excited to be here at the pageant and looks forward to meeting all the other state queens.