Clara Lyon

Violinist Clara Lyon is an acclaimed artist whose work connects sonic languages and artistic disciplines to spark new pathways for the imagination. Celebrated for her stylistic versatility, she thrives as a collaborator across contexts—from chamber music and recital programs to improvisation, interdisciplinary projects, and curation.

A prizewinner of the Irving M. Klein and Schadt International Competitions, Clara has appeared in such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, Big Ears, and the Reykjavik Arts Festival. Her projects extend into film and installation, including the award-winning Thus, the Night—featuring Spektral Quartet and music of Henri Dutilleux—and exhibitions with visual artist Antonia Contro and cellist Hannah Collins. Her vision has been recognized with a Music Academy of the West Alumni Enterprise Award and a Ragdale Foundation Residency with the Theorem Collective.

From 2014–2023, Clara was a violinist and Director of Programs of the Chicago-based Spektral Quartet, which commissioned over 85 bold new pieces by composers such as Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Miguel Zenon, George Lewis, and Tomeka Reid; developed fresh interpretations of canonical works, and earned three GRAMMY nominations across three musical genres. The group’s final project together–a collaboration with composer Tonia Ko, botanist and NYTimes bestselling author Robin Wall Kimmerer, and the Center for Humans and Nature–will be released later this year.  

Clara now serves as Co-Artistic Director of Decoda, Carnegie Hall’s only Affiliate Ensemble, curating performances and multi-year initiatives for a roster of 35 exceptional artists. With Decoda, she builds meaningful musical experiences in schools, hospitals, shelters, correctional facilities, and concert halls. She also performs as a member of the self-conducted chamber orchestra A Far Cry and the Lydian String Quartet, and teaches at Brandeis University, the Decoda Chamber Music Festival, and Greenwood Music Camp.

Clara holds degrees from the Juilliard School and SUNY Stony Brook, followed by a fellowship with Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect. She delights in helping others access moments of wonder and believes that creativity is a human right.

Grant Houston

Violinist Grant Houston connects with listeners through performances of unbridled energy and emotional magnetism. Known for drawing in audiences with a uniquely compelling musical voice, he has been described as playing "as ethereally as mist" (Yale Alumni Magazine). Particularly devoted to chamber music, Houston is a founding member of Trio Gaia, a co-artistic director of Palaver Strings and a member of A Far Cry (both GRAMMY-nominated ensembles) and a frequently-featured performer at chamber music series and festivals across the country. 

In recent seasons, Houston has brought a distinct presence to a wide range of performances across the chamber music landscape. Notable engagements include Spoleto Festival USA (Bank of America Chamber Music), the Grand Canyon Music Festival, Staunton Music Festival, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, Monadnock Music, Wellesley Chamber Players, First Mondays at Jordan Hall, Castle of Our Skins, and Juventas New Music. In addition to his work as a member of the conductorless ensembles A Far Cry and Palaver Strings, he also performs as a guest with ensembles such as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Performing widely as a soloist and recitalist, (including a recent concerto appearance with the Plymouth Philharmonic) upcoming recitals with pianist Dina Vainshtein will take place in Chicago, Philadelphia, and across New England. 

As the violinist of Trio Gaia, Houston tours with one of today’s most exciting piano trios. Offering audiences dynamic, personally relevant experiences inside and outside the concert hall, Trio Gaia has made a name for itself performing recitals on series such as the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, Schneider Concerts, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, the Harvard Musical Association, Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society, Davidson College Concert Series, Shelter Island Friends of Music, and many others. Equally known is the trio’s passion for bringing people of all ages into the experience of chamber music, leading to repeat residencies at the Panama Jazz Festival, frequent, interactive workshops with elementary, middle, and high-school students across the United States, lecture-recitals at MIT’s Whitehead Institute, masterclasses for the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, and engagements at educational programs such as PRIZM International Festival in Tennessee and the Massachusetts Suzuki Festival. In recent years, Trio Gaia has garnered numerous accolades, including prizes at the WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition, the Premio Trio di Trieste in Italy, the Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, and the Plowman Competition. In 2024, the trio completed a three-year appointment as Trio-in-Residence in the New England Conservatory's Professional Piano Trio Program.

Houston has performed with artists such as Jeremy Denk, Inon Barnatan, Paul Biss, Marcus Thompson, Paul Wiancko, and Todd Palmer, and counts Donald Weilerstein, Ayano Ninomiya, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, and Merry Peckham among his mentors. Committed to music education himself, he has given masterclasses at Duke University, the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts, and the Winsor School, and now serves on the faculty of New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Houston completed both undergraduate and graduate study at the New England Conservatory of Music.

Photo Credit: Alyssa Wang