Meet Our Instructors
Here to Guide, Inspire and Support
Who a teacher is, is more important than what he or she teaches. Our teachers create opportunities for exploration and learning by establishing engaging environments where students feel safe and confident. We have exceptional instructors who are caring, enthusiastic, and dedicated to helping students exceed their every expectation. The Overture School of Music selects professional musicians with a love for teaching. Read some of their stories below. More qualified staff will be joining us soon!
Ms. Rebecca Lo
Founder and Director.
When Ms. Rebecca Lo, Founder and Director of Overture School of Music, and an official Steinway Educational Partner, started teaching her sister and her neighbors at the age of 13, she never imagined that one day she’d be overseeing the musical upbringing of hundreds of students of all ages in what has become one of Houston’s best known music studios.Having started Overture School of Music in her own apartment over 4 years ago, Ms. Rebecca is an energetic, passionate, and motivational educator who has grown alongside her students in her 18 years of teaching experience. Known by parents to be diligent, attentive, and communicative, she believes that the personal connection between teachers, students, parents, and herself is what makes Overture stand out in comparison to other music academies in the area. Having been the first person in her district to ever receive record-breaking perfect scores on piano, viola, and violin in All-State level exams during her high school years in New York, Ms. Rebecca understands the challenges that students face during their training, and she specializes in preparing them to succeed using personally tailored motivational techniques. Additionally, she firmly believes that through their musical education, students acquire vital life skills such as patience, discipline, and perseverance, all which contribute to their formation as well-rounded individuals.As a recipient of Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at Rice University on full scholarships, Ms. Rebecca not only recognized the importance of receiving mentorship from passionate, talented musicians, but also found her passion in teaching and has worked tirelessly to make Overture School of Music an extension of that experience; it is her priority that the Faculty at Overture is comprised by some of the most gifted and brilliant up-and-coming professional musicians in Houston, ensuring that the students at the studio receive guidance from only the best Houston has to offer.Remembering her days where she was honored to perform in world famous concert halls such as Carnegie Hall (on nine occasions), National Taiwan Concert Hall and Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater, amongst others, Ms. Rebecca wishes for students at Overture to get the experience of being on stage and share their newfound musical abilities. In the near future, Ms. Rebecca hopes to allow even more children to gain access to music education through community outreach, sponsorship and scholarship programs.
Ms. Angela
Flute, piano and violin instructor
Ms. Angela hails from Taiwan and enjoys her musical life across Asia, Australia, and United States. As a prize-winning musician in many competitions, Ms. Angela recently won the 2022 National Flute Association Young Artist Competition finalist alternate; the grand prize of the University of Houston Concerto Competition; the first prize in the Taiwan National Student Artist Competition; the finalist in the Taiwan Flute Competition, and the outstanding performance award every year with the highest academic distinctions. Ms. Angela develops her life as an active performer by attending music festivals and masterclasses, she has played for Lowell Libermann, Vincent Lucas, Andrea Oliva, Michael Cox, San-qing Chen, Robert Dick, Jim Walker, Seiya Ueno, Michel Moragues, and Denis Bouriakov.
Ms. Angela holds her BA with a minor in piano and MM degrees from Taiwan National Sun-Yat Sen University and she is now pursuing her Doctoral of Musical Art at the University of Houston Moores School of Music with a full scholarship. Her main teachers include Hsiao-Pei Iris Ma at Taiwan National Sun-Yat Sen Univ., Vernon Hell at Queensland Conservatorium, and Aralee Dorough at the University of Houston.
In addition to her achievements as a flutist, Ms. Angela is also an accomplished music teacher. She has been teaching flute, piano, and violin for over 10 years and has a great passion for sharing her love of music with her students. Her teaching philosophy is centered on helping students develop a strong foundation in technique, theory, and musicality, while also encouraging them to express themselves creatively through music. Ms. Angela tailors her teaching approach to each individual student’s learning style and interests. Her students have ranged in age from young beginners to advanced players, and she has helped many of them achieve success in various competitions and performances.
Besides being a passionate musician, Ms. Angela enjoys pursuing her dedication to Art in Heath, spending time with family and friends, and exploring culinary arts around the world.
Mr. Rene
Brass and piano instructor
Mr. Rene is a professional trombone player from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico with a Bachelor‘s degree in General Musical Education from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico whose professors were Dr. Luis Fred, Mr. Miguel Rivera, Mr. Jorge Diaz, Mr. Alfredo Torres, among others. Mr. Rene has teaching experience in wind, strings, piano, and percussion instruments on levels K-12, special education and adults.
Mr. Rene was inspired to become a musician early in life. His passion grew by seeing and being around his uncles who played percussion and string instruments at church. Mr. Rene began his music career at the age of nine in the Symphonic Juvenile Band of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico with his teachers Mr. Jose Berrios and Mr. Gamalier Gonzalez. Then, he joined the Symphonic Juvenile Orchestra of Puerto Rico with Dr. Genesio Riboldi while also being part of the worship ministry in The Disciples of Christ Church. He participated in several competitions such as Hard Rock Café in the State of Florida, Symphonic experience with the Puerto Rico Symphonic Juvenile Orchestra, among others.
As a professional musician, Mr. Rene developed great relationships and experiences during his music journey. He has worked, recorded and performed with well-known artists such as Adassa from the Disney movie Encanto, Tercer Cielo, Cheo Feliciano, Charlie Aponte, Andy Montanez, Tony Vega, Luis Enrique, Victor Manuelle, Grupo Mania, Elvis Crespo, among others in the United States and other countries. Additionally, he is currently a teacher and a freelance musician in the city of Houston, Texas. He performs all the way from Classical to Latin music such as Salsa, Jazz, Merengue, Reggae, etc.
Mr. Rene sets himself goals personally and professionally. As an educator, he wants to help all children discover the talent and magic that they carry within them so that each individual can achieve their own dreams.
Mr. Matthew
Piano instructor
Mr. Matthew is a musician whose passion lies equally in teaching and performing. His area of expertise is solo and collaborative piano. As soloist, he has concertized in venues around the world, including the United States, Spain, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. He also performed solo with orchestras including Lynn Philharmonia, Manila Symphony Orchestra, and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. He has garnered awards and scholarships throughout his performing career. Mr. Matthew has been a dedicated piano teacher since 2012 having taught in various institutions. In addition to teaching piano, he is an active vocal coach and has guided numerous singers of all styles and voice types. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Lynn University, a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University, and a Doctor of Music in Piano Performance from Florida State University. He is about to start another doctoral degree in Collaborative Piano at the University of Houston starting in Fall 2023. Mr. Matthew looks forward to pursuing his passion in enriching the hearts and minds of students through musical learning. His goal is to bring out the best of each student’s unique capabilities, strengths, and talents. By helping them fine-tune their technique, musicianship, and theoretical knowledge, the students will become confident musicians.
Ms. Madeline
Viola, violin and piano instructor
Ms. Madeline is an accomplished music teacher and violist hailing from San Antonio. Her musical journey began at the age of eleven when she discovered her passion for the viola. Not long after, at twelve years old, Madeline started sharing her knowledge and love for the instrument by teaching her friends how to play. Throughout high school, she continued to cultivate her teaching skills by offering informal private lessons and sectionals to non-varsity classes. Her dedication and talent were recognized when she received superior ratings at UIL State Solo and Ensemble competitions. Her commitment to performing and teaching led her to the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she studied under the guidance of Allyson Dawkins, the principal violist of the San Antonio Symphony. During her time at UTSA, Madeline's contributions were honored with the String Area Service Award and the Orchestra Director's Award. She graduated with honors and received a Bachelor's in Music with a concentration in Viola Performance. Continuing her pursuit of excellence, Madeline is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Houston. Under the tutelage of Wayne Brooks, the former principal violist of the Houston Symphony, she is honing her skills as both a performer and educator.
Passionate about nurturing young musicians, Madeline has worked with the University of Texas at San Antonio String Project and the Hill Country Youth Orchestra in Boerne as a teacher. She also shared her expertise with the Northside Independent School District and served as a sectional coach and string mentor in the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio. Madeline's talent as a violist has afforded her opportunities to showcase her abilities in notable ensembles such as the San Antonio Philharmonic, the San Antonio Mastersingers, and the Mid-Texas Symphony. Beyond music, she nurtures a fascination for meteorology and finds joy in spending time with her fiancé and cat.
Mr. Ilya
Piano and composition instructor
Originally from Kazakhstan, Mr. Ilya is a professional pianist, piano instructor, composer, and laureate of international competitions with 25 years of experience in piano studies. He has worked with numerous symphony orchestras and conductors and has been featured in recitals across Kazakhstan, Russia, Austria, and the United States. Mr. Ilya graduated from Novosibirsk State Conservatory in 2016 with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance. He was the winner of several international competitions throughout his time in the conservatory. Mr. Ilya was a member of the Cultural Olympiad in Sochi (2014) and a member of the Russian Union of Composers. Mr. Ilya’s first string quartet composition was performed in the great hall of Novosibirsk Philharmonic Society in 2018. Mr. Ilya has taught and worked in many music schools, colleges, and universities in exciting locations from central Kazakhstan to the polar circle in northern Siberia. He has numerous years of teaching experience with students of all different ages and levels. Mr. Ilya believes in teaching his students to not only play music, but to also foster their own comprehension and progress in music independently. Mr. Ilya is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma focusing on concert performance for pianists at the University of Houston.
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Mr. Wes
Trombone, Guitar, Piano, and voice instructor
Mr. Wes teaches trumpet, trombone, tuba, French horn, voice, piano, banjo, mandolin, bass guitar, and guitar. While he specializes in brass instruments, he brings extensive experience across a wide range of instruments, genres, and musical styles.
Wes grew up immersed in music, raised by two professional musicians. His mother taught at the New School for Piano Study in Princeton, NJ, and his father studied Music Education at the University of Georgia. He began piano lessons with his mother at age five and started learning tuba and trombone at age ten. During high school and college, he expanded to additional brass instruments and later picked up guitar and banjo.
Wes earned a Bachelor of Music in Brass Pedagogy from Birmingham-Southern College, where he studied tuba with Andrew Miller, principal tubist of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. While in college, he won the Whittington Concerto Competition three times and performed as a featured soloist with the Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra.
As a performer, Wes has appeared with choirs affiliated with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, New Orleans Vocal Arts Chorale, and Nova Voce Chamber Choir, and has performed at Carnegie Hall. His performance experience spans orchestral, jazz, marching band, folk, bluegrass, rock, and brass ensembles. Until COVID, Wes served as Director of Music Ministries at St. Charles United Methodist Church, conducting the chancel choir. From 2020 through early 2025, he was the Music Director of the NOLA School of Music in New Orleans. He currently performs banjo, guitar, and vocals in a folk duo called The Caged Birds.
Mr. Maxwell
Viola, violin, piano and composition instructor
Mr. Maxwell is a music educator, performer, and composer. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in music and studied with Jeff Irvine at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Mr. Maxwell was the Valedictorian and he double majored in the viola performance and music theory, while triple minored in composition, eurhythmics, and French. As an educator, he works with students of all ages in a variety of settings, including one-on-one instrumental training here at Overture and classroom general music in his role as the grade 7 to 12 music teacher at the Post Oak School's Museum District campus. His priorities in teaching are to inspire love and appreciation for all types of music and to approach topics from multidisciplinary angles.
Mr. Maxwell has a great interest in technology integration into the arts. Mr. Maxwell completed a 3-year tenure with the Cleveland Institute of Music's Virtual Learning program writing and presenting music appreciation courses about diverse topics to grades K-12 using live videoconferencing technology. These courses also included related performance segments.
As a composer, Maxwell focuses on his primary instrument, the viola. Typically, his compositions feature programmatic themes about nature or life experiences.
Mr. Michael
Guitar, Ukulele and piano instructor
Mr. Michael grew up in Apple Valley, California where he first started his musical journey at the age of 8. He started with the alto saxophone. He performed with the Apple Valley High School Marching Band and Jazz Band. During his freshman year of high school, he got his first guitar. After his brother taught him how to play Enter Sandman by Metallica, Michael fell in love with the instrument. He taught himself and advanced his skills by studying classical guitar with Rich Sumner at Victor Calley college for four years.
In 2009, Mr. Michael was accepted to Berklee College of Music in Boston. He studied jazz guitar for one year before transferring to Musicians Institute of Los Angeles. Michael studied rock, pop and blues at the Musicians Institute with some renowned artists such as Dave Weiner, Jaime Kime and Alex Machacek. After leaving MI in 2012, Michael moved to Texas and performed with Houston band Enloom.
He then began teaching guitar at various elementary schools with IKIDS After School Program. Mr. Michael taught guitar with IKIDS for two years before becoming a full-time instructor which he taught 35+ students a week. In addition to providing guitar lessons, Mr. Michael is also the main guitarist and composer for Small Deal, a Houston Funk Band.
Ms. Trinh
Piano instructor
Ms. Trinh grew up in a musical family in Saigon, Vietnam. She learned piano at the age of six, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Music at the University of California - Berkeley, where she also received her Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cell Biology. With her grandfather as her first piano teacher, she completed all eight ABRSM Practical Musicianship Grades and Theory Exams at the age of fourteen. She has performed in concert halls such as Herbst Theatre in San Francisco War Memorial and Performance Art Center, HCMC Opera House, Hanoi Opera House and Sydney Opera House with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Bing Concert Halls, and more.
Alongside teaching, Ms. Trinh is pursuing her Doctor of Medicine degree. Just as how she firmly believes in maintaining good physical and mental health, she also understands the importance of music in our daily lives. Furthermore, teaching and learning are both about exploration, inquiry and experimentation. As a music teacher, her goal is to help students unlock the meaning and message of any piece of music. She crafts her lessons to each student’s needs, passing on her love of music to her students in an inspiring and engaging manner, so they can take their creativity and love of music in many directions. With her teaching experience, she brings a unique flare that is both motivating and highly successful in helping her students achieve their goals.
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Mr. Grant
Piano instructor
Mr. Grant is a pianist, organist, and bass from Fresno, California. He is currently studying at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice for a Master of Music in Organ Performance. Before moving to Houston, he received two bachelor’s degrees in music and civil engineering from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.
Mr. Grant began piano lessons at five years old, and music has been his passion from a young age. He loves to play music from the classical tradition, but he also plays jazz, contemporary music, film music, and improvises. Mr. Grant performs as frequently as he can as a soloist and with ensembles: in the first half of 2022 alone, Mr. Grant gave four solo recitals and performed with six different ensembles. He loves teaching students to find the same joy from playing piano that he does.
Mr. Grant has sung bass in choir for over eight years. As a piano accompanist for choirs, voice classes, and individual voice students, Mr. Grant has coached numerous vocalists in diverse styles of music.
Some of Mr. Grant’s other interests include composing, hiking, reading, and learning foreign languages: he is currently working on German and French.
Ms. Katherine
Harp and piano instructor
Ms. Katherine, a native of San Angelo, Texas, began playing the piano at the age of four and harp at the age of seven. She began performing professionally at the age of ten, appearing as a soloist and with ensembles across the United States and Europe. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University, where she studied music, history, and risk management and insurance, and a Master of Music in harp performance from the Manhattan School of Music, a renowned conservatory in New York City. In addition, Ms. Katherine has studied at the Royal College of Music in London, UK, and the Académie Musique de Cabris in Cabris, France.
Currently, Ms. Katherine serves as Principal Harpist of the San Angelo Symphony and regularly performs around Houston with ensembles such as Galveston Symphony, Symphony of Southeast Texas, Brazosport Symphony, and many others. As a soloist, Katherine has won and placed in numerous harp and piano competitions, including TMEA All Region and All State, Hong Kong International Harp Competition, Emerging Artists Concerto Competition, American Harp Society in Dallas Competition, Permian Basin Harp Competition, and San Angelo Young Musician’s Festival.
As a teacher, Katherine’s focus is on combining the joy of music with solid technique and relaxation. She has over six years of experience teaching
students of all ages and focuses on working with each student to set personalized goals and determine a lesson plan that will enable them to
achieve those goals. The most important goal is to love music and to enjoy the journey of learning!
Ms. Caitlin
Harp and piano instructor
Ms. Caitlin is a harpist based in Houston, TX with degrees from both Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, having achieved a Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music respectively. An active performer, she has performed numerous times as a concerto soloist, most recently with the Akademisches Orchester in Leipzig and National Repertory Orchestra.
In addition to performing with many professional orchestras such as the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, and the Symphony of Southeast Texas, Ms. Caitlin has been the Outreach Director and Harpist for “The Syndicate for the New Arts” since 2014, a non-profit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio. She is also a core member of Loop 38, a contemporary music ensemble bringing new music to the heart of Houston.
An active freelance performer in the contemporary, classical, and jazz genres, Ms. Caitlin also enjoys teaching students of all ages! She has taught many young musicians, college students, and adult beginners, and always strives to work with the individual to help them achieve their unique goals in music. She has studied the piano since age four, began her study of the harp at age nine, and is a native of Thornton, Pennsylvania. When she’s not playing the harp, she can probably be found enjoying the outdoors, listening to good music with friends, or daydreaming about dogs!