Community-Embedded Musicians

Violinist Lindsey Baggett joined the team of Community-Embedded Musicians in the Fall of 2023. She has been a frequent substitute for the Houston Symphony since 2013, including three seasons as a contracted substitute. She also enjoys performing locally with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Houston Ballet Orchestra. She holds a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Florida State University. Her principal teachers include William Preucil and Frank Huang. As a Community-Embedded Musician, Lindsey is thrilled to be able to share music through performances, workshops, and education.

Julissa Y. Chapa taught general elementary music in the Houston area for 20 years. She earned her Kodály Certification from the Kodály Institute of Houston and has received additional training in Music Learning Theory. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Houston and her intended areas of research are Emergent Bilinguals in the music classroom and music education accessibility in under-resourced areas. She has presented staff development sessions for several districts and conferences across the country, teaches summer courses for Fort Bend Kodály Institute, and is currently a lecturer and student teaching supervisor at the University of Houston.

Lucinda Chiu is a first violinist of the Los Angeles Opera, and a substitute musician with the Houston Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, and Houston Ballet. She has appeared with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Mercury Chamber Orchestra, Candlelight Concerts, and on films and albums recorded at Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, and more. A dedicated educator, she teaches at the Houston Youth Symphony, British International School of Houston, Carver High School, and maintains a thriving private studio. Lucinda holds degrees from The Peabody Conservatory and Rice University. She enjoys crocheting, learning Japanese, and playing with her puppy, Pancake.

David Connor has served as a Houston Symphony Community-Embedded Musician since August 2015. He was born in Chelmsford, MA and began playing the double bass when he was nine years old. He joins the Houston Symphony as a Community-Embedded Musician after two seasons with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL. Connor earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University and his Masters of Music at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. While at Rice, he was a fellow of the Da Camera of Houston Young Artist Program for two seasons, which led to many community outreach opportunities and chamber music collaborations in the greater Houston area. Connor has participated in summer festivals including Music Academy of the West, Aspen, Sarasota, Domaine Forget, and the Britten Pears Young Artist Program. He has been a recipient of the Aspen Academy Orchestra Fellowship and was chosen in 2011 to be a member of the New York String Orchestra Seminar at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Jaime Laredo. As a member of the New World Symphony, he has had the opportunity to teach double bass both at home and abroad, traveling to Medellín, Colombia and Geneva, Switzerland in 2014.

Christian Harvey, double bassist from Riverdale, GA, is part of a wave of next-generation double bassists. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Music at Rice University, Christian studies with Paul Ellison. Christian is a Community Embedded Fellow with the Houston Symphony, organizing and performing engaging concerts in the community. He’s also in DACAMERA’s Young Artist Program, working to develop skills as an emerging artist. He achieved third prize in the 2023 Strings Competition for the National Association for Negro Musicians and was a finalist in the 2024 Ima Hogg Concerto Competition. Christian earned his Bachelor’s in Music Performance from Columbus State.

Alexis Mitrushi is a violist who has recently joined the Houston Symphony in the fall of 2024 as a Community Embedded Musician and is currently serving as a substitute violist for the New World Symphony. She served as a substitute violist of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, Symphony of Southeast Texas, and Denver Philharmonic. She was also a principal & associate principal of the Chautauqua MSFO, NRO, and Westside Chamber Players. She holds an MM from Mannes School of Music and a BM + minor from Oberlin Conservatory. She believes music is a tool utilized for the expression of one’s soul.

Stephen Hudson is a Houston-based artist, voice coach, and educator with a passion for performance and music. He holds a B.A. in Music Education from Loyola University and an M.Ed. from the University of St. Thomas. He has taught in public schools, worked with organizations like Dreamyard Project, Broadway’s Babies, Houston Grand Opera, TUTS and co-directed the NYC Youth Pride Chorus. As the founder of Life Studios, he uses creativity to inspire others. Stephen is a producer continuing to impact communities through arts education.