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
