Chelsea De Souza, piano
Known for her dynamic artistry and thought-provoking recital programming, Indian pianist Chelsea de Souza is a Steinway Young Artist equally at home in the worlds of traditional and new music. The four-time All-India Piano Competition winner has been interviewed on NBC TV, performed live on public radio, and appeared in concerts across the US, Belgium, Germany, France, and India. 2023-24 season highlights include recitals and appearances for Minnesota Orchestra’s summer season, DACAMERA’s Beethoven for All series at the Menil Collection, Houston Methodist’s Center for Performing Arts Medicine, Cypress Creek FACE and Musiqa’s New Voices; she will also be featured as Artist-in-Residence on American Public Media’s Performance Today Rhone-Paris cruise.. A consummate chamber musician, Chelsea has performed at La Jolla Summerfest 2022, as a Young Artist with the DACAMERA Chamber Music and Jazz Series in Houston, and with award-winning groups “Alarm Will Sound” and the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. A committed performer of music by living composers, she has commissioned and premiered numerous works for solo piano and small ensemble at museums, colleges and festivals across the US. Inspired by a diverse range of musical influences, she strives to explore issues of identity and culture through her versatile, genre-defying artistry, most recently in her lecture-recital titled “The Silk Road”, which explored musical and cultural exchange between Western and Indian classical composers. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where she has taught classes in music theory and hybrid music of the Indian diaspora.
Chelsea de souza
piano
Katie Hart, oboe
Originally from Albany, NY, Katie began playing the oboe at age 9 under the tutelage of Randall Ellis. She earned her Bachelor’s of Music in 2014 at the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Richard Killmer, and her Master’s of Music in 2016 at Rice University, studying with Robert Atherholt. Katie has attended such acclaimed music festivals as the National Orchestral Institute, the Banff Centre’s Masterclass and Orchestral programs, the Sarasota Music Festival, and the National Repertory Orchestra. She has also played with professional ensembles including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Florida Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Houston Ballet Orchestra, and the San Antonio Symphony. She is a core member of the Houston based new music ensemble Loop 38. Currently residing in Houston, TX, Katie maintains both a freelancing career and a sizable oboe studio.
Katie Hart
oboe
Cameron Kerl, trombone
Cameron Kerl is a trombonist based in Houston, TX. Working regularly as a performer and educator, he joined Loop38 as a core member in 2020. In addition, Cameron has performed with the Houston Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Spokane Symphony, New World Symphony, and Houston Jazz Orchestra since moving to the area in 2016. Cameron received his master’s degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in 2018, preceded by his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music in 2016. While a student at NU, he minored in jazz studies, performed in the pit orchestra for 15 musical theatre productions, and co-founded The Syndicate, a jazz/hip-hop/funk band that rose to prominence in northern Chicago’s music scene in 2013. During his time in the band, they opened for a wide array of musical acts including Chance The Rapper, Walk The Moon, Anderson .Paak, and Smash Mouth. Hailing from Puyallup, WA, Cameron enjoys playing racquet sports, voraciously listening to music, and making the most of a sunny day.
Cameron Kerl
trombone
Maxwell Paulus, horn
A native of Fresno, California, Maxwell earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, studying with Amy Sanchez. While at UCLA, he had the opportunity to collaborate with pianist Gloria Cheng in uclaFLUX, a weekly contemporary music seminar, performing works by Ligeti, Murail, Stockhausen, Schoenberg, Stucky, Augusta Read Thomas, John Adams, and Jean-Luc Darbellay. He was a member of the American Youth Symphony and the Young Musicians Foundation Chamber Orchestra, along with being an avid freelancer and substitute musician with the New World Symphony. Maxwell is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, studying with William VerMeulen. In his free time, he enjoys exercising, practicing and teaching yoga, and reading.
Maxwell Paulus
horn
Sergein Yap, viola
A native of Miami, Florida, violist Sergein studied with Ivo van der Werff at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, with Martha Katz at the New England Conservatory, and with Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 2016, Mr. Yap was selected as a Zarin Mehta Fellow with the New York Philharmonic’s Global Academy Fellowship Program. Summer festival appearances include the Banff Centre, ENCORE School for Strings, Heifetz International Music Institute, Kneisel Hall, Music Academy of the West, the Perlman Music Program, Sarasota Music Festival, and Tanglewood Music Center.
Recent chamber music collaborations include performances with Brian Connelly, David Halen, Richie Hawley, Paul Katz, Roger Tapping, and David Coucheron. Mr. Yap has also been featured in recitals through the Carl Flesch Academy in Baden-Baden, Germany, and the Summer Academy Bad Leonfelden, Austria.
Mr. Yap performs regularly as a substitute with the Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, and is a core member of Loop38 and the KINETIC Ensemble. Mr. Yap is on faculty at the University of St. Thomas and serves on the executive board of the Houston Viola Society. Highlights for the 2017-2018 Season include performances with the KINETIC Ensemble, Loop38, the Melos Sinfonia of London, England, MUSIQA, Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, and Da Camera of Houston’s Young Artist Program.
Sergein Yap
viola
Daniel Egan, trumpet
Daniel is a native of Verona, New Jersey, and a recent graduate of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, studying with Professors Barbara Butler and Charles Geyer. Mr. Egan received his undergraduate degree at Indiana University as a student of John Rommel. Professionally, he has performed with numerous orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony, Houston Symphony, Alabama Symphony, and the Jacksonville Symphony. He was a fellow with the National Repertory Orchestra in the summer of 2013. He is an active member of Loop38, a Houston-based new music collective. An enthusiastic teacher, Daniel was the trumpet faculty member at the Luzerne Music Center in Lake Luzerne, NY. He maintains an active studio in the greater Houston area and in his spare time enjoys playing jazz, reading, and exercising.
Daniel egan
trumpet
Craig Hauschildt, percussion
Percussionist and conductor Craig arrived in Houston shortly after Tropical Storm Allison to attend graduate school at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. In the ensuing period, he has weathered two hurricanes and wasn’t scared away; had the honor of working with students at the University of Houston and Texas A&M; programmed and performed chamber music in exceptional art spaces including the Menil Collection, the Rothko Chapel, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Galveston Artist Residency; led the Da Camera Young Artist Program; started a wonderful family with the love of his life; and is now leading an effort to infuse the arts more fully into the daily lives of students throughout the Houston Independent School District. His awe for this city grows with each passing day as his work brings him in contact with incredible people all over town.
A sucker for hemiolas and tritones, Mr. Hauschildt finds unceasing joy in discovering new music, sharing it with others, and using it to bring people together.
Photography by Richie Hawley.
Craig Hauschildt
percussion, conductor, and co-leader
Jamey Kollar, percussion
A strong advocate for the promotion and proliferation of new music, Mr. Kollar keeps an active performance schedule, most notably as the percussionist for the Houston based contemporary chamber music group Loop38. Mr. Kollar was selected to be a fellow at the 2017 Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival in North Adams, MA, where he performed and studied alongside young professional musicians and composers from around the world. Additionally, he attended the 2012 and 2013 Sō Percussion Summer Institute (SōSI), an intensive percussion chamber music festival held annually on the campus of Princeton University.
Mr. Kollar is a graduate of the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston,
earning his Masters of Music in Percussion Performance degree in the spring of 2012. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Moores School in 2010, with a Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance.
Jamey Kollar
percussion
Maiko Sasaki, clarinet
Dr. Maiko Sasaki, DMA, is a clarinetist who brings passion and precision to every note she plays. A dynamic force in the world of classical music, she commands attention with her blend of emotional depth and technical brilliance. Hailing from Japan, Dr. Sasaki has taken the stage with acclaimed ensembles such as ROCO, Opera in the Heights, the Sarasota Orchestra, and the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston. Her captivating performances have resonated in esteemed chamber music projects and groups, including the Kennedy Center Conservatory Project, Musiqa, and the ROCO Connections series.
Dr. Sasaki’s artistry has earned her praise for her ability to infuse each performance with storytelling power. Houston critic Sydney Boyd perfectly captured the magic of her work, describing a recent performance of La Traviata: “The clarinet solo in Act Two was exquisite and full of overwhelming emotion, adding an extra layer of poignancy to Violetta’s heartbreaking plea.” This dedication to her craft has not gone unnoticed—Dr. Sasaki was awarded the prestigious Presser Music Award, a testament to her exceptional skill and potential for a distinguished career.
In 2011, Dr. Sasaki co-founded MATIMA, an ensemble with pianist Dr. Makiko Hirata, born out of their shared belief in music’s ability to transcend cultural and social boundaries. MATIMA’s mission is clear: to create a communal sensory experience that goes beyond traditional concerts, fostering a sense of connection with every performance. Their creativity and vision led them to perform as guest artists at the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest 2015 in Madrid, Spain. Together, they’ve produced two transformative albums, The Greener Grass and 100 Years: Early Beethoven and Late Brahms, where Dr. Sasaki’s innovative transcriptions of classic works breathe new life into well-loved compositions.
Not content to simply perform, Dr. Sasaki has broadened her talents into music production, mastering everything from graphic design to audio engineering. Her most recent project, Vitalize, is an exciting collaboration with pianist Yoko Kuromaru that infuses everyday life with energy through an inventive mix of MIDI instruments and refreshing, joyful melodies.
In 2022, Dr. Sasaki expanded her involvement in the music world by taking on the role of Artist Liaison at ROCO, where she brings together artists and audiences in meaningful ways. Her artistic and administrative roles reflect her deep dedication to building strong musical communities and fostering connections between performers and listeners.
In an exciting new chapter, Dr. Sasaki is now joining Loop38, a contemporary music ensemble dedicated to creating immersive, boundary-pushing performances. With this new role, she continues to explore innovative musical expressions, building on her commitment to expanding the classical music landscape.
Whether on stage, in the studio, or behind the scenes, Dr. Maiko Sasaki’s contributions to the world of music are driven by passion, creativity, and a desire to connect with others through her art.
Maiko Sasaki
clarinet
Christopher Ellis, cello
Born in Ireland, cellist Christopher Ellis has been described as “a rapidly rising cello star” (The Irish Times). Holding degrees from Conservatoire Nationale Supérieure de Musique et Danse Paris and Rice University, he currently resides in Houston, Texas. Christopher enjoys an active performing schedule, playing with groups such as Loop38, Musiqa, Kinetic Ensemble and the Houston Symphony Orchestra. As a Dacamera Young Artist, he performs regularly throughout Houston, while engaging with the Houston community in musical visits to public schools. Christopher has performed internationally at SuperCello Festival Beijing, Piatigorsky Cello Festival Los Angeles, Cello Biennale Amsterdam and across France, Germany and the Netherlands. In Ireland, recent highlights include performing and teaching at the National Concert Hall’s International Master Course Festival and making his debut as soloist with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Recent prizes include the 2023 Doug Davis performance award and the Prix Ravel from Fontainebleau Academie, France. Upcoming highlights include playing at the UN Summit in Geneva, Switzerland in an performance which will fuse the world’s of music, dance and neuroscience. Christopher plays on a C.A. Testore cello made in 1764, generously loaned to him by his former teacher and mentor Aisling Drury Byrne.
christopher ellis
cello
Mary Grace Johnson, violin
Violinist Mary Grace Johnson has performed internationally at venues from New York's Lincoln Center to London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. A passionate chamber musician, Ms. Johnson studied chamber music with the American, Blair, Escher, Juilliard and Pacifica quartets and attended the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival. In 2018, she co-founded the Unison String Quartet, a group dedicated to the performance of contemporary chamber music and recent participants in Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, Aspen Center for Advanced Quartet Studies and the Perlman Music Program. As a DACAMERA of Houston Young Artist, she frequently performs at the Menil Collection, Galveston Artist Residency, Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Moody Center, among others, and additionally performs with Houston collective ensembles Kinetic Ensemble, Loop38 and MUSIQA. As a soloist, she has appeared with the Nashville Symphony and the Vanderbilt Orchestra, and aims to promote the music of underrepresented composers, especially historically underappreciated female composers, through her recital programming.
Ms. Johnson received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, where she was awarded the Founder’s Medal for the Blair School of Music, the highest honor in her graduating class, and received her master’s degree from the Juilliard School where she served as concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra. In addition to the violin, she has studied the viola and baroque violin. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Paul Kantor at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. When not performing, Mary Grace loves camping, backpacking, and experimenting with new recipes with her fiancé Keeheon.
Mary Grace Johnson
violin
Caitlin Mehrtens, harp
Caitlin Mehrtens is the newly-appointed Principal Harpist for the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. An avid supporter and performer of contemporary art, Caitlin is proud to be involved with Loop38 as a harpist and administrator. Before moving to Texas, Caitlin was also the Outreach Director and Harpist for “The Syndicate for the New Arts”, a Cleveland-based non-profit, for 4 years. She has toured, recorded, and premiered numerous works with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble under Maestro Timothy Weiss, and was heavily involved in the Performance Improvisation Program under renowned world percussionist, Jamey Haddad.
In addition to performing with many professional orchestras such as the Houston Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Spokane Symphony, and the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Caitlin is also passionate about teaching the harp through private lessons. She is the Adjunct Harp Professor at the University of St. Thomas, she teaches through the Certified Coaching program at Harp Mastery, and also maintains her own private studio.
Caitlin graduated from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, achieving a Masters of Music in Harp Performance with Paula Page. Previously, she graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, achieving a Bachelor of Music degree in Harp Performance under Yolanda Kondonassis, and also a second Independent Major called “Communication through Multi-Cultural Music and Movement”. She grew up in Thornton, Pennsylvania with a very musical family and is so grateful to the role music has played in every aspect of her life.
Photo by Natalie Gaynor Photography
Caitlin Mehrtens
harp and co-leader
Jacob Schafer, violin
Violinist Jacob Schafer is a multifaceted performer dedicated to compelling, thoughtful presentations of works old and new. In addition to his work with Loop38, he is a core member of Houston’s Kinetic Ensemble and frequently performs with other ensembles in Houston such as MUSIQA and Rice University’s Hear&Now. As a Da Camera Young Artist from 2017 to 2019, he taught students in underserved public schools and performed at venues across the city including the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Houston Public Library, and the Galveston Artists Residency.
Recent performance highlights include chamber music with pianists Leon Fleisher and Lisa Moore, the American premieres of works by Julian Anderson and Oliver Knussen, and collaborations with composers Thomas Adès, John Harbison, Fred Lerdahl, and George Lewis. Summer festival appearances have included Tanglewood Music Center, Norfolk’s New Music Workshop, Composer’s Conference Contemporary Performance Institute, Sarasota Music Festival, Heifetz Institute, Castleman Quartet Program, and Brevard Music Center.
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Mr. Schafer graduated from Yale University with a B.A. summa cum laude in Music and in Ethics, Politics, and Economics. Currently a student of Paul Kantor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, he previously studied with Kyung Yu and Christian Teal and has coached chamber music with Norman Fischer, Ivo van der Werff, Andrew Jennings, Wendy Sharp, and Michael Friedmann. He received the M.M. in violin performance from Rice in 2018 and is now continuing his studies in Rice’s D.M.A. program.
Photography by Natalie Gaynor.
Jacob Schafer
violin and co-leader