More than half of the Houston Symphony’s musicians are now alumni, students or faculty of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. This fall, four more joined their ranks. The new members include two principal players: Kayla Burggraf ’14 is the symphony’s new principal flute, and pianist Wesley Ducote ’16, ’18 is principal keyboard. Eunseo Lee ’26 joins as associate principal second violin.
Samantha Washecka, a student of Kathleen Winkler, the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Classical Violin, won a seat in the first violin section while still an undergraduate. She will perform the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra this spring while completing her bachelor’s degree, which she expects to finish in 2027.
“Every time one of our musicians earns a seat in this orchestra, both institutions grow stronger,” said Matthew Loden, the Lynette S. Autrey Dean of Music. “Houston audiences gain an artist who studied just a few miles from Jones Hall; Texas holds onto another extraordinary talent; and our current Shepherd students can see exactly where their work can lead.”
The ties between the two institutions extend beyond the roster. Shepherd School students regularly perform with the symphony as substitutes. Symphony musicians also mentor graduate students through the Brown Foundation Community-Embedded Musician Fellowship, which trains young performers to bring music to schools and neighborhoods across Houston. Current faculty members holding positions in the orchestra include Allegra Lilly, associate professor of harp; Joan DerHovsepian, professor in the practice for viola; Brinton Averil Smith, associate professor of cello; Nick Platoff, associate professor of trombone; David Kirk, associate professor of tuba; and Matthew Strauss, associate professor of percussion, while a number of Shepherd School faculty have also retired from positions within its ranks.
Current artist teacher faculty include principal bassoonist Rian Craypo, associate principal cellist Christopher French and former associate principal clarinetist Thomas LeGrand. Additionally, Houston Symphony musicians and guest artists are frequent judges and master class teachers at the Shepherd School, including concertmaster Yoonshin Song, former music director Hans Graf, composer and conductor John Adams and conductor Christian Reif, who will lead the Shepherd School’s fall opera production of Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.”
“The Houston Symphony and the Shepherd School of Music have shared a remarkable partnership for decades, rooted in a common commitment to musical excellence and the development of the next generation of great musicians,” said Gary Ginstling, executive director and CEO of the Houston Symphony. “Nearly half of the members of the Houston Symphony are Shepherd School graduates, and a number of our musicians also serve on the Shepherd faculty, making this a partnership that enriches both institutions and, ultimately, the musical life of our city.”
Houston is far from the only orchestra drawing on Rice’s musical talent. A 2025 study of more than 2,200 musicians in 32 major U.S. orchestras ranked the Shepherd School first in orchestra placements per capita: for every 10 students currently enrolled at Shepherd, roughly 14 alumni hold jobs in major American orchestras.
The school’s graduates continue to add to that record. Shepherd School alumni and students won more than 40 orchestra positions in the past year alone, including seats with the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
“Audition committees can hear the difference when a musician has spent years rehearsing and performing at a professional standard,” Loden said. “Our students learn from faculty who held top positions in major orchestras before committing to teaching full time, and they bring that experience into every lesson. When an orchestra needs someone who can step in and lead a section, they know where to look.”
Learn more about upcoming performances at the Shepherd School on its events page.