Our Team
Artistic Staff
Dr. Michael Webster,
Artistic Director and Symphony Conductor
Artistic Director of Houston Youth Symphony since 1997, Dr. Michael Webster has led HYS to multiple national performance awards. Known as clarinetist, conductor, composer/arranger, and educator, he has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Aaron Copland, the Boston Pops and John Williams, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and many prestigious musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell. He has also appeared with many string quartets, including Tokyo, Cleveland, and Dover, and at many of North America’s finest music festivals. Having served on the clarinet and conducting faculties of Eastman, Boston University, New England Conservatory, and University of Michigan, he retired in 2023 after 26 years as Professor of Music at Rice University and achieved the International Clarinet Association’s highest award – honorary membership.
Michael Isadore is the orchestra director at Dulles High School and the Associate Conductor of the Houston Civic Symphony. He holds master’s degrees in conducting and clarinet performance from the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC) Conservatory of Music and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Baylor University. Isadore continues to perform as a clarinetist with the Victoria Symphony and has been recognized for outstanding conducting and performance by the American Prize and the Houston Symphony.
Michael Isadore,
Philharmonia Conductor
Dr. Brad Smith,
Sinfonia Conductor
Brad Smith joined the Houston Youth Symphony artistic staff in 2015. He is the Director of Orchestral Activities at Kinder HSPVA in Houston. Dr. Smith’s students consistently achieve recognition in concerto and chamber music competitions and earn seats in the TMEA All-State Orchestras. Each year, HSPVA graduates gain admission to conservatories and music schools across the country. Before joining the Kinder HSPVA faculty, Smith taught for eleven years at the University of Pennsylvania. He also conducted the Delaware County Youth Orchestra (DCYO), a group based in the suburbs of Greater Philadelphia. Dr. Smith holds degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University and The University of Texas at Austin.
Angela Peugnet is Director of Orchestras at Fort Settlement Middle School. She holds a Master of Music degree with a conducting specialization from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Music degree with teacher certification from the University of Houston. Mrs. Peugnet is a recipient of the Houston Symphony’s Music Educator Award and has been an invited clinician conductor with several TMEA Region Orchestras.
2023/24 marks Mrs. Peugnet’s first season with HYS.
Angela Peugnet,
String Orchestra Conductor
Dr. Jackson Guillén,
Debut String Orchestra Conductor
Honduran violinist and violist Dr. Jackson Guillén is the Director of the HYS Coda Music Program. He also serves as Principal Second Violin of the Symphony of Southeast Texas. He is the co-founder and organizer of Encuentro Anual de Cuerdas, a String Festival that takes place in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Dr. Guillén holds a Doctor in Musical Arts degree in violin performance from the University of Houston.
Administrative Staff
Amy Chung
Executive Director
Stephen Bachicha
Operations and Program Manager
Gisela Yan
Development and Office Manager
César Fránquiz
Development and Program Associate
Jackson Guillén
Coda Music Program Director
Samantha Arizpe
Coda Music Program Assistant
Nora Henschen
Coda Music Program Assistant
To reach HYS administrative staff members, please use the staff member’s first name followed by @HoustonYouthSymphony.org.
Board of Directors
2023-2024 Season
Officers
Linda R. Katz – President
Yong Eoh – Vice President
Dr. Blake M. Wilkins – Vice President, Artistic
DaviAnn Worthington* – Secretary
Daniel Crump – Treasurer
Board of Directors
Deborah Dunham
Stephan M. Farber*
Daniel Fu
Arthur Gottschalk
Cathy Hartley
Avni Kapadia *
Alecia Lawyer
Rose Ann Medlin
Trevence Mitchell
Joshua Rocha
May Wu
Advisory Board
James F. Dunham
William “Rusty” Guinn *
Brian James
Ryan Jewett
Sarah Loudermilk
Sandra Paige
Jeffrey Ross, D.P.M., M.D.
Abhijit Sengupta*
Sandra Stettler
Georgia Struthers
*Houston Youth Symphony Alum