Backstage Pass: Christian Schubert, clarinet

Christian Schubert has been the second clarinetist of the Houston Symphony since 1996 when he was appointed by Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. A native of Burbank, CA, he studied at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, where he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in music performance. His principal teachers have been Kalman Bloch, Robert Marcellus … Continued

Backstage Pass: Timothy Dilenschneider, associate principal double bass

In January 2019, Timothy Dilenschneider was appointed associate principal double bass of the Houston Symphony. Prior to joining this orchestra, Timothy was a member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of music director Marin Alsop. He has also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and The Florida Orchestra. His orchestral … Continued

Backstage Pass: Maki Kubota, cello

Maki Kubota hails from Santa Monica, California. In middle school, he signed up to play violin in orchestra, but auditioned without knowing how to play. He deservedly got assigned to the cello instead. He began lessons a few years later at the Colburn School and went on to study at the Peabody Conservatory and Rice … Continued

Backstage Pass: Leonardo Soto, timpanist

Leonardo R. Soto Jr. is the newly appointed Principal Timpanist of the Houston Symphony and the first native Hispanic timpanist to play in a professional orchestra in the United States. Leo served as principal timpanist of the Charlotte Symphony from 2009 until 2018, and the Michigan Opera Theatre-Detroit Opera House from 2003 to 2009. He … Continued

Backstage Pass: Richard Harris, trumpet

Richard Harris joined the Houston Symphony as second trumpet in 2018. Previously, for eight years he was a member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, where he became the only musician in an American orchestra to win auditions for each position in one trumpet section. A Yamaha Performing Artist, he has performed with the Seoul and … Continued

Backstage Pass: Andrew Pedersen, double bass

Andrew Pedersen joined the Houston Symphony Double Bass section in August 2017. A native of Batavia, Illinois, Andrew received his bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and master’s degree from Rice University, where he studied with Robert Kassinger and former Houston Symphony Principal Bass Timothy Pitts, respectively. Other mentors include Paul Ellison, Alexander Hanna and Gregory … Continued

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