Shepherd School of Music Profiled for Houston Business Journal

Photo Credit: Jeff Fitlow

Matthew Loden, Dean of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, recently spoke with Janet Miranda from the Houston Business Journal on significant moments in the school’s history and his vision for the future. He cites faculty members such as Larry Rachleff, former director of orchestras, and Stephen King and Richard Bado from the opera program as turning points for the success of the Shepherd School. “If you were going to study the clarinet and you wanted to win an audition with an orchestra,” Loden says, “then you knew that you wanted to go to the Shepherd School to try and learn what you needed to about taking auditions, understanding the repertoire, the music and then learning how to play in a large ensemble.”

Loden emphasizes the importance of bringing in new faculty members “at the height of their professional game,” such as David Chan, former concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, who was hired as Professor of Violin in April of 2025. Other current projects include a Mind, Music and Body Laboratory, led by composer and professor Anthony Brandt, which studies the intersection of creativity and brain plasticity during performance. 

In his vision for the future of the Shepherd School, Loden sees more opportunities to connect with the community, building deeper relationships with arts organizations in Houston and beyond. Last year, Shepherd hosted a community day, which attracted more than 3,000 attendees. The next iteration happens in February and will include a family concert performed by Shepherd students. 

Read the full article here. 

Photo Credit: Brandon Martin