Virtuosi of Houston Violinist Student Wins Spot with the Houston Symphony

The dream of every student musician to play with a professional symphony became a reality for Virtuosi of Houston musician Katherine Butler, 15. She recently was chosen to perform solo with the Houston Symphony in a series of Neighborhood Concerts around the city.

Katherine will perform the Remembrances violin solo from Schindler’s List joining the stage with the Houston Symphony which includes her father, Jeffrey Butler, a cellist. Her mother, Wendy Smith-Butler, is a cellist with the Houston Ballet and the Houston Grand Opera orchestras. Katherine began playing the violin at the age of 4 with Florence Muller. “This is such an honor and we are all excited for Katie,” said Karen Needham, director of orchestra operations for Virtuosi of Houston. “The opportunity for her to be able to play on the same stage as her father is such a remarkable experience and will bring many fond, lifetime memories for the whole family.”

The Houston Symphony planned to feature a high school student violinist in the summer programs, so they asked each of Houston’s youth orchestras to submit a candidate. The audition took place May 7 and was judged by an artistic panel at Jones Hall. Katherine currently studies with Katrina Bobbs-Savitski and participates with Virtuosi of Houston’s chamber orchestra. She won the string division 2018 Virtuosi of Houston Concerto Competition and performed as a soloist at the Hobby Center in Virtuosi of Houston’s annual Concerto Concert on March 24. She has participated in various chamber ensembles and is in the HSPVA Symphony Orchestra.