Musiquita

Blanca Cecilia González is a Colombian-born violinist and educator currently based in New York City. She began her conservatory training at age 4 and has a diverse musical background, performing Latin American folk music as well as classical pieces. At age 11, she moved to New York City, where she continued her musical education at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, also known as "The Fame School".

Blanca holds a Bachelor's Degree from The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and a Master’s Degree from The Juilliard School. Her career spans over 25 years, during which she has performed across North America, South America, and Europe. She is known for her versatility, collaborating on projects that range from classical to jazz, contemporary, rock, folk, and world music.

In addition to her performance career, Blanca co-leads Musiquita with her husband, Jesse Elder. Musiquita is an interactive music project for young children and families, offering concerts and classes that blend music, language, and culture.

Jesse Elder is a multifaceted musician based in New York City, renowned for his work as a pianist, composer, arranger, producer, lyricist, singer, and songwriter. With a career spanning over two decades, he has performed in many prestigious venues, including Radio City Music Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and L'Olympia in Paris. His work as pianist and music director have taken him all across North America, Europe, The UK, Qatar, India and the Philippines.

As a composer/arranger/producer Jesse has worked in an extremely wide range of styles including classical chamber music for circus, jazz from traditional to avant garde, underscoring for musicians, concerts for kids and so much more. He is a 4 X winner of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s Competition.

Elder's musical journey includes a significant tenure as the Music Director for Postmodern Jukebox from 2016 to 2022, where he contributed to numerous arrangements and recordings. He has also worked with a variety of artists and ensembles, including the Candy Shop Boys (featured in John Wick I), Angelo Moore of Fishbone, Sara Elizabeth Charles, and Haley Reinhart, among others.

In addition to his extensive performance and recording career, Jesse Elder, along with his wife Blanca Cecilia González, co-leads Musiquita, a music project aimed at children and families. This initiative reflects his commitment to sharing the joy of music across different age groups and settings.