The Shepherd School of Music’s newest faculty members are already making their mark on Houston’s vibrant arts scene. Harpist Allegra Lilly and violinist David Chan will take the spotlight with the Houston Symphony in a series of performances beginning Sept. 27.
Lilly, who joined Rice University this summer as associate professor of harp, will be featured in Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp during the symphony’s classical subscription series concerts Sept. 27 and 28.
“I can’t wait for these performances of Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp, a piece I love more each time I perform it,” said Lilly, who has served as principal harp for the symphony since February 2023. “The harp has come a long way in the last 250 years or so, but Mozart didn’t care much for it in his day — or the flute, for that matter! All the same, in his typical fashion, he managed to create a jewel of the harp repertoire in this beautiful and charming double concerto. Very much looking forward to the opportunity to perform it here in Houston with our outstanding guest flutist, Stathis Karapanos.”
Chan, professor of violin and longtime concertmaster of New York’s Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, will appear as guest concertmaster for three upcoming subscription programs, performing with the symphony Sept. 27-28, Oct. 10-12 and Oct. 17-19.
“The Houston Symphony is an amazing group of musicians with many old friends and current Shepherd School colleagues in the ensemble,” Chan said. “These weeks as guest concertmaster form a perfect bridge between my previous career and my new pursuits in Houston. I can’t think of a more fitting occasion for my first performances in my new community.”
The Shepherd School and Houston Symphony share deep ties that extend well beyond the concert stage. Thirty-one current musicians in the symphony hold degrees from the Shepherd School, and students often perform alongside the orchestra as substitutes. The two institutions also partner through the Brown Foundation Community-Embedded Fellowship program in which Houston Symphony community-embedded musicians mentor Shepherd School graduate students. Several current faculty members are also symphony musicians, continuing a long tradition of collaboration between the organizations.
Learn more about the Shepherd School’s seven new faculty in the article here.