Shepherd School of Music | News

An ensemble of vocalists in long gowns perform on stage in front of a purple background with two Christmas lights made out of twinkle lights

Shepherd School students light up sold-out Spirit of the Season event

A string trio performs in front of a projected light of fire/smoke as two dancers wearing EEG brain caps press their hands together

Shepherd School’s Music, Mind and Body Lab to explore intersection of arts, neuroscience, medical humanities

Marty Merritt Reflects on 40+ Years at the Shepherd School

Marty Merritt arrived at the Shepherd School as a freshman in 1981, just a few years after the school’s founding — and he’s been part of our story ever since.

Black-and-white vintage photo of brass students and faculty posing with their instruments; overlaid on top is a play button

Celebrating 50 Years of the Shepherd School of Music (Video)

Symphony Orchestra 2

Student ensembles to present weekend of performances at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music Dec 4-6

Three string players perform at the Moody Center for the Arts, and are pictured in front of a large painting. The image has a play button on it.

New Art / New Music showcases original works inspired by ‘Bio Morphe’

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Sasha Cooke, Pierre Jalbert smile with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra for a bow

Encore-worthy evening raises $1.5M for Rice’s Shepherd School of Music

Four white woman wearing fancy gowns smile for a photo in Morrison Theater

Rice University gala raises $1.5 million celebrating the Shepherd School of Music's 50th anniversary

Houston Chronicle

View from inside Morrison Theater as guests in black-tie attire enjoy dinner on stage

Shepherd School celebrates 50 years with gala concert and dinner

James Gaffigan Conducting

Rice alumnus Gaffigan to helm Houston Grand Opera as music director

Student conductors with Miguel Harth-Bedoya at a college fair

Training musicians, teachers, music lovers: A new era for conducting at Shepherd School

Chamber Fest 1

Shepherd School Chamber Music Festival to celebrate art of learning through performance

Sasha Cooke

Shepherd School of Music celebrates 50 Years with concert and gala

Houston Chronicle

Brockman Hall for Opera

Celebrating 50 Years, Music School Spotlights Its Own With Premieres

Classical Voice North America

Loden reappointed as dean of Rice’s Shepherd School of Music

Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra featuring the violin section and the backs of the cellists

‘Momentum and Majesty’: Shepherd School to enjoy night of energy, color, emotion

A young woman (Pamina) with a frightened expression stands in front of flames of fire, with a dark looming presence behind her (Queen of the Night)

Shepherd School to reimagine ‘The Magic Flute’ with artistic collaboration, student focus

Sasha Cooke

Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke ('04) finds a home on the international stage

Four people pose for a photo. From left to right, a man in a blue suit, a woman in a beige dress holding an award made out of glass, a man in a tan suit, and a woman in a burgundy dress and white blazer

Danielle Ward-Griffin among Rice faculty recognized for national awards in inaugural ceremony

Cristian Măcelaru takes a bow with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in his debut concert. He wears a blue suit with his hand on his chest and a small smile on his face, looking upwards. He stands in front of orchestra musicians dressed in black concert attire.

The New York Times: Cristian Măcelaru Cues a New Era at the Cincinnati Symphony

Two smiling men pose with a honeycomb placed on a table between them

Bees, poetry and sound: "The Fruit and the Work" by Stallmann and Campana takes flight at Shepherd School

Three men – Fischer, Brandt, and Harth-Bedoya – standing in front of an orchestra acknowledge audience's applause

Fischer premieres Brandt concerto to celebrate Shepherd School’s milestone season

Steven Jamail sits at the piano performing with singer Lea Michele at Carnegie Hall in front of blue lighting

Composing a Career: Steven Jamail (’02) on Music, Mentorship and Rice

Headshots of Allegra Lilly and David Chan

New Shepherd School faculty step into Houston spotlight with symphony performances

A Symphonic Celebration

Shepherd School season to open under Harth-Bedoya’s direction in September

Newly renovated audience chairs in Duncan Recital Hall with red seat cushions and dark wood

Stude Concert Hall and Duncan Recital Hall get sophisticated makeover

Larry Rachleff conducts the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra - view of the stage from upper balcony left

Orchestra at the Shepherd School: a legacy of excellence

The Shepherd School of Music has built one of the nation’s top conservatory orchestras, shaped by the extraordinary 30+ year leadership of one-of-a-kind maestro Larry Rachleff, Walter Kris Hubert Professor Emeritus of Orchestral Conducting.

Bassist smiles while playing in rehearsal

Shepherd School of Music announces 2025/26 season

View from inside Morrison Theater facing the stage

Opera at the Shepherd School: from modest beginnings to a powerhouse program

Shepherd's opera department has been shaped by a lineage of passionate leaders and a commitment to top-of-the-line mentorship for students.

Houston Chronicle: Performances of 'The Magic Flute' and 'Falstaff' as well as a gala mark Shepherd School's 50th anniversary season

A 465-foot long building with columns and bricks, surrounded by grass and a few lush trees

A monastery for music: the vision behind Alice Pratt Brown Hall

Before 1991, the Shepherd School of Music operated from basements, attics, and borrowed corners of campus. But that all changed with the opening of Alice Pratt Brown Hall.

Front facade of Brockman Hall for Opera at sunset

Built for brilliance: Brockman Hall for Opera

With its public opening in 2022, Brockman Hall for Opera finally gave Shepherd’s renowned opera program the dedicated space it had long deserved.

Conductorless string orchestra performs on stage in front of blue lighting

A decade of impact: Kinetic Ensemble’s journey from Shepherd to the heart of Houston

Founded by violinist Natalie Lin Douglas ('20) and made up largely of Shepherd School alumni, Kinetic has grown from a student initiative into one of Houston’s most dynamic and forward-thinking ensembles

Five students in blue dress shirts and black pants stand side-by-side with their wind instruments and smile for a photo

Bridging cultures through music: Shepherd students and deans travel to Tianjin, China

Five students pose in front of a picturesque park with lush trees

Opera students spend three immersive weeks in Florence studying Italian

Professor of Voice Ana María Martínez earns top honor from state of Texas

Former student Nicholas Brownlee wins 2025 Richard Tucker Award

Headshots of incoming faculty

Shepherd welcomes seven new full-time faculty members in fall 2025

Senior Sophie Urban reflects on her time at Shepherd

Shepherd opera students smile for a photo at the end of year picnic

Shepherd opera students head to top programs this summer

Leila Josefowicz leads a violin master class with student Fiona Shea in Duncan Recital Hall

Leila Josefowicz inspires Shepherd School violinists in master class focused on expression, artistry

Scene from "The Ghosts of Versailles" - two ghosts fight each other in front of a blue projection of a stage

San Francisco Classical Voice: John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles Marks a Major Anniversary in Houston

Senior Katie Butler embraces nuance, community through violin

A Shepherd violinist and contrabassoonist perform at the Moody

New Art / New Music connects students and audiences at the Moody

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Conductor with Shepherd School Orchestra

Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra welcomes new leader Miguel Harth-Bedoya with ‘New Beginnings’ concert

The cast of The Ghosts of Versailles takes their onstage bows

Living legend brings ‘The Ghosts of Versailles’ to life at Shepherd School

David Chan

David Chan appointed Professor of Violin

The Met Orchestra concertmaster, soloist, chamber musician, and veteran instructor to begin at Shepherd School in fall 2025

Joshua Winograde and Patricia Racette in interview

A haunted, hilarious, heartfelt spectacle: Shepherd School opera to present ‘The Ghosts of Versailles’

Collage of Community Day activities

Shepherd School’s 50th Anniversary Community Day opens doors through music

String quartet performance in Duncan Recital Hall

Shepherd School’s free Spring Chamber Music Festival features nearly 120 students performing works by 16 composers

Richard Brown helped Rice blaze new trail as ‘one of original architects’ of Shepherd School of Music

Concert Truck performance photo

Shepherd School students bring mobile concert to Eldorado Ballroom

Luke Sutliff at the Met Opera Laffont Competition

Luke Sutliff ('21) wins Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition

Karim Al-Zand poses with the Houston Symphony Orchestra on stage

Houston Symphony premieres Karim Al-Zand’s ‘Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks’

Two Shepherd students, a cellist and harpist, pose for a photo at a previous New Art / New Music performance

Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts to host interdisciplinary performances with Shepherd students, alumni, and faculty during Earth Month

Ryan McKinny & Friends recital cast

Opera comes to life in ‘Ryan McKinny & Friends’ recital

Allegra Lilly

Harpist Allegra Lilly joins Shepherd School faculty

Miguel Harth-Bedoya in interview

Incoming Director of Orchestras Miguel Harth-Bedoya invites audiences to the 50th Anniversary Community Day

Composition alumni headshots overlaid with orchestra

Shepherd's Composition Alumni Spotlight to feature works by emerging composers

Shepherd woodwind quintet

Shepherd students to perform on the world stage in Tianjin, China this May

Ryan and Tonya McKinny pose for a photo with Shepherd School opera students

Renowned artist Ryan McKinny to perform with Shepherd School students Mar 7

Cristian Măcelaru

Alumnus Cristian Măcelaru returns to lead Orchestras this Feb

Jon Kimura Parker in rehearsal with LA Phil

Jon Kimura Parker joins LA Phil for Gershwin performance as last-minute replacement for Yuja Wang

Caroline Shaw leads Shepherd School alumni earning honors at Grammy Awards

Shepherd opera students take a bow on the Morrison Theater stage

Opera scenes master class brings acclaimed artists Tonya and Ryan McKinny to Shepherd School stage

Sandbox Percussion in performance

Sandbox Percussion to perform a Guest Artist Recital on Feb 7

Kellan Dunlap and Lyndsi Maus perform "Even the Trees Weep"

Graduate student’s recital confronts the tragedy of school shootings through American art song

Shepherd School Chamber Players rehearsal

Stravinsky to Shaw: Shepherd School to showcase musical diversity in back-to-back concerts

Lauren Caroll ('24) performs at HGO's "Concert of Arias"

Shepherd School alumna places third in Houston Grand Opera competition

Richard Lavenda, composer

Richard Lavenda’s ‘Upon Further Reflection’ set for Jan. 16 premiere

"Birds Are Real" performance photo featuring faculty members Brian Connelly on piano and Matthew Strauss on percussion

50 years of innovation: Shepherd School premieres first anniversary commission

Shepherd students lead a JUMP! outreach performance

Shepherd School students bridge music and community with ‘inspiring’ JUMP! program

Spirit of the Season 2024

Shepherd School’s delightful ‘Spirit of the Season’ kicks off holiday festivities

Collage of Musiqa, Apollo Chamber Players, and Jasper String Quartet

Shepherd faculty and alumni garner multiple Chamber Music America Awards

Eva Lewitt

Harmony in color: Eva LeWitt installation strikes a chord at Shepherd School

Yefim Bronfman master class

Famed pianist Yefim Bronfman offers ‘much to reflect on and explore’ in Shepherd School master class

Elizabeth Freimuth, french horn

Alumna Elizabeth Freimuth to join faculty as Professor of Horn

Eddins, Mak

William Eddins to lead Dec 6 symphony concert with Jonathan Mak's award-winning Brahms

Nick Platoff

Nick Platoff joins faculty as Associate Professor of Trombone in fall 2025

November 14, 2024

Caroline Shaw and Blanton Alspaugh

Shepherd School alumni among 67th annual Grammy Award nominees

Valentin Radutiu

Valentin Radutiu appointed Professor of Cello

Hou, Pinkerton, Rath

Symphony Orchestra showcases rising stars at ‘Virtuoso Spotlight’

Alcina

Shepherd School Opera presents enchanting performances of Handel’s ‘Alcina’

Erin Hannigan oboe

Erin Hannigan named Professor of Oboe, succeeding Robert Atherholt

James Ehnes with Shepherd Student

‘Incredibly inspiring’: Shepherd students learn from violin master James Ehnes

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor, at The Metropolitan Opera

Shepherd Director of Orchestras Miguel Harth-Bedoya makes Met debut

Hou, Orchestra, Thompson

Contemporary music takes center stage at October concerts

The Birds Are Real: Ambush From Ten Directions

Shih-Hui Chen's “Birds Are Real; Ambushed From Ten Directions" honors Shepherd's 50th

Shepherd School Students & Ana Maria Martinez

Shepherd School honors Hispanic heritage with Spanish-language recital

Grams, Kim

Shepherd School’s 50th anniversary season kicks off with weekend of orchestral performances

Headshots of Shepherd alumni

Shepherd School alumni, recent students take center stage at elite opera companies

Ana María Martínez

Shepherd School presents ‘Noche Española’ with opera star, professor Ana María Martínez

Cristian Macelaru and Patrick Summers

Musical powerhouses strengthen offerings at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music

Erik Broess

Award-winning musicologist Erik Broess joins Shepherd School faculty

Cristian Mǎcelaru, music director of the Orchestre National de France and Shepherd School alumnus conducts during the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Rice Shepherd School of Music alumnus reflects on conducting during Olympics opening ceremony

Tessa McQueen (MM '24) performing as Poppea during the Shepherd School's production of “L’incoronazione di Poppea”

Alumna of Rice’s Shepherd School selected for Met Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program

Shepherd School Bassoon Professor Benjamin Kamins Testing the New Fox Model 750 Bassoon

Shepherd School professor and alumni help develop affordable, American-made bassoon

Charlie Geyer (1944–2024)

Longtime master of trumpet and Shepherd School professor Charlie Geyer passes away

Miguel Harth-Bedoya

Miguel Harth-Bedoya Announced as Distinguished Resident Director of Orchestras

Shepherd School students perform in recital in Florence, Italy

Italian immersion: Shepherd School voice students travel to Italy to learn language, history

The world premiere of Music for New Bodies at the Shepherd School

‘Music for New Bodies’ makes world premiere at Rice’s Shepherd School

Najee Greenlee, Clarinet and Giancarlo Guerrero, Conductor with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra

Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra concludes 2023-24 season on a high note with a sold-out program

Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and Audrey Welsh, mezzo-soprano

Grammy winner Isabel Leonard offers expertise and inspiration to Shepherd School students

Music for New Bodies

Matthew Aucoin & Peter Sellars: Music for New Bodies featured in The New York Times

The world premiere collaboration took place in Brockman Hall for Opera at the Shepherd School of Music.

Giancarlo Guerrero, Najee Greenlee, and the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra

Rice’s Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra presents ‘A Constellation of Sounds & Stories’

Music for New Bodies

Matthew Aucoin & Peter Sellars: Music for New Bodies - A World Premiere Collaboration at the Shepherd School of Music

Shepherd School of Music partners with Chamber Music America as they host their 2025 National Conference in Houston

Chamber Music America to host its 2025 National Conference in Houston in partnership with the Shepherd School of Music

Shepherd School’s opera double bill of ‘Dido and Aeneas’ and ‘The Rape of Lucretia’

Audiences celebrate Shepherd School’s opera double bill of ‘Dido and Aeneas’ and ‘The Rape of Lucretia’

Kellan Dunlap, Tenor and the Presser Foundation

Shepherd School’s Kellan Dunlap wins Presser Graduate Music Award for project raising awareness of school shootings

Dido and Lucretia

Shepherd School Opera’s double bill to explore timely stories of remarkable women

Isabel Leonard as the 2023-2024 Aleko Endowed Master Class Artist

Isabel Leonard named Rice Shepherd School’s 2023-24 Aleko Endowed Master Class artist

Shepherd School student playing the cello at the Musical Stories Family Concert

Rice’s Shepherd School mesmerizes families at Musical Stories Family Concert

Daniil Trifonov with Dana Rath, Cello and Isaac Foreman, Piano

Mastery in Motion: Shepherd School students learn from award-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov

Chelsea de Souza

Window into the Creative Mind: Pioneering concert explores the neural underpinnings of musical improvisation

Shepherd School students perform on The Concert Truck at the Houston Rodeo

Cowboys, Cowgirls, and Classical Music at the Houston Rodeo

Shepherd School students on The Concert Truck

It's Back! Shepherd School Students Perform Music Across Houston via The Concert Truck

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Conductor with Shepherd School Orchestra

Miguel Harth-Bedoya Leads the Shepherd School Orchestras Mar 2-3

Shepherd School of Music Alumna Caroline Shaw ('04)

Shepherd School Alumna Caroline Shaw ('04) Wins at the Grammy's

Lidiya Yankovskaya

Shepherd School to Kick Off Spring Semester

Music for New Bodies Casting Announced

Music for New Bodies Casting Announced - Including Two Shepherd School Alumni

Final Events of 2023 at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice

Final Events of 2023 at the Shepherd School of Music

Shepherd School Alumni Grammy Nominees 2023

Numerous Shepherd School Alumni up for Grammy gold

Ken Cowan with gifted organ

One-of-a-kind practice organ gifted to the Shepherd School

Hans Graf and Kevin Puts

Music with Hans Graf & Kevin Puts at the Shepherd School

The Concert Truck

Shepherd School Bringing Free Music to Community via The Concert Truck

James McCarthy

James McCarthy Named 2024 San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow

Rolando Villazón, front left, and Lauren Snouffer in Yuval Sharon’s new staging of Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo,” styled as “Orfeo” at Santa Fe Opera. Credit Curtis Brown

SSM Alumni Shine at Santa Fe Opera

This article mentions alumni Lauren Snouffer (BM '09, Stephen King) and Luke Sutliff (MM '21, Stephen King), in addition to former SSM student Nicholas Brownlee (MM candidate, Stephen King). 

Xayvion Davidson

Xayvion Davidson Wins Cynthia Woods Mitchell-Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition

Emanuel Ax Visits Shepherd School

Emanuel Ax Coaches Shepherd Pianists in Master Class

Trio Menil

Trio Menil Wins Plowman Chamber Music Competition

Sir Stephen Hough Gives Master Class

Sir Stephen Hough Visits Shepherd

Christian McBride Visits Shepherd School

Grammy Winner Christian McBride Gives Master Class

Dean Matthew Loden

Shepherd School Ready to Hit High Notes Again, says Houston Chronicle

Clara

Collector loans Stradivarius violin to the Shepherd School of Music

On the Wire

Shepherd students connect with 20+ opera professionals in 2025

In 2025, Shepherd voice students had the opportunity to learn from and connect with more than 20 industry professionals, an incredible experience made possible by Director of Opera Studies Joshua Winograde.Administration / Artistic Leadership– Serge Dorny, General Director, Bayerische Staatsoper– Andreas Melinat, Vice President, Artistic Planning, Lyric Opera of Chicago– Colin Brush, Director, Butler Opera Studio, Houston Grand Opera– Erik Malmquist, Head of Casting, Bayerische Staatsoper– Tobias Truniger, Director, Opera Studio, Bayerische Staatsoper

New Art / New Music showcases original works inspired by ‘Bio Morphe’

Student ensembles to present weekend of performances at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music Dec 4-6

Campanile Orchestra unites non-music majors for orchestra concert

Shepherd School students light up sold-out Spirit of the Season event

Shepherd School’s Music, Mind and Body Lab to explore intersection of arts, neuroscience, medical humanities

Encore-worthy evening raises $1.5M for Rice’s Shepherd School of Music

Shepherd School celebrates 50 years with gala concert and dinner

Celebrating 50 Years of the Shepherd School of Music (Video)

Marty Merritt Reflects on 40+ Years at the Shepherd School

Marty Merritt arrived at the Shepherd School as a freshman in 1981, just a few years after the school’s founding — and he’s been part of our story ever since.

Rice University gala raises $1.5 million celebrating the Shepherd School of Music's 50th anniversary

Houston Chronicle

Training musicians, teachers, music lovers: A new era for conducting at Shepherd School