Bluebonnet Philharmonic Orchestra

Conor Brace is a composer and trumpet player from Austin, Texas.  Conor has always been fascinated by music’s ability to tell stories. Originally a jazz musician, he performed as a trumpet soloist and wrote for big bands and other groups while obtaining his Master’s Degree in Jazz Composition at the University of Texas at Austin. 

As he was finishing up his degree, Conor began studying traditional orchestration along with media music production. Collaborating with student filmmakers and game developers became a new obsession, and it provided an opportunity for combining jazz/pop sensibility with the emotive power of the orchestra. Conor currently lives in Liberty Hill with his wife Whitney, who runs Liberty Hill Pharmacy, and their daughter Brienne, who thinks they are both very silly.

Trey Thompson is an orchestra conductor who is originally from Ft. Worth, Texas. Trey began playing the viola at age 11 and conducting at 18.  For his undergraduate studies, Trey attended Baylor University where he studied Instrumental Music.  During his time as an undergraduate, Trey traveled extensively, performing on both coasts of the United States as well as throughout Germany and the Middle East with such groups as the National Music Festival, Norddeutsche Orchesterakademie, Temple Symphony Orchestra, Baylor Symphony Orchestra, Baylor Opera Theatre, and as a featured soloist with the Baylor Campus Orchestra.  As a conductor, Trey has worked with the Fort Worth Symphony, Waco Symphony Orchestra, Bluebonnet Philharmonic Orchestra, Central Texas Choral Society, Baylor Symphony Orchestra, Baylor Opera Theatre, Baylor Campus Orchestra, and the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival, where he was chosen as fellow at the MMF Conducting Institute.  He recently concluded his tenure as Assistant Conductor and Music Librarian of the Waco Symphony Orchestra, where he assisted conductor Lawrence Loh.

Trey earned a Master of Music degree from Baylor University where he studied with Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Stephen Heyde. Other major teachers include Kiril Stankow and Mark Gibson.  In 2025, Trey became a finalist for the American Prize in Conducting and the American Prize in Orchestral Programming (community orchestra divisions).  Additionally, Trey led the Bluebonnet Philharmonic to win the American Prize Marian Anderson Award in Social Justice for the BPO's 2024 performance of William Grant Still's Afro-American Symphony. 

Trey currently resides in Houston with his wife, Gina, where he works as a public school music educator, helping prepare the next generation of classical musicians.  He is also involved in the musical leadership of their church.

Season 4 (2024 - 2025) Conducting Fellow

Emma Strub is an established violist and conductor in the Austin area. An Austin native, Strub returned to Austin in early 2023 after completing a Masters degree in Orchestral Conducting from Northern Arizona University. She currently holds the position of Music Director for the Central Texas Medical Orchestra. Previously, she held Assistant Conductor positions with the Austin Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Northern Arizona. In addition to her Masters in Orchestral Conducting, Strub holds a Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance from the University of Memphis, and a Masters in Viola Performance from Rutgers University. 

Strub is a prolific freelancer in both conducting and viola. She regularly performs with local ensembles such as Density512, the Balcones Community Orchestra, and the Austin Civic Orchestra. Strub is very interested in contemporary music and regularly collaborates with local new music projects, often performing at KMFA’s Draylen Mason Studio. Strub is an active member of the Sienna Strings Collective and Swan Songs Musical Last Wishes.

Strub lives in Hyde Park with her partner, Dr. Michael Martinez. She greatly enjoys chamber music and can often be seen at ATX Classical Jam and Classical Trivia nights.

Season 3 (2023 - 2024) Conducting Fellow

Brianna is a middle school band director in Austin, Texas. She began her musical career by playing clarinet and bass clarinet in middle school. Brianna showed an interest in conducting in high school and became drum major her senior year. She studied music education at the University of West Georgia where she participated in the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Woodwind Ensemble, and she was the drum major of “The Sound That Lights The South” UWG Marching band. Brianna attended conducting clinics at Columbus State University two years in a row and took every conducting opportunity she could. She has conducted two different high school groups on multiple occasions and one middle school. Brianna also has a lot of experience working with high school marching bands. She has been a visual instructor, clarinet instructor, and drum major instructor. Brianna has taught music to all ages from younger than pre-k to 18 years old and she believes that conducting instrumental musicians is her calling. Brianna has been married to her high school sweetheart, King, since 2021 and they’ve been together since 2014. They share 3 fur babies Prince, Bentley, and Dakota. In their free time they all enjoy bingeing shows, playing video games, and cooking new recipes.

Georgia Denney *
Cathy Anderson 
Chelsi Jacobson 
Gena Lewis 
Joseph Lloyd 
Sheila Nardelli 
Maryann Norman 
Kenia Santiago 
Adela Uchida 

Dorris Smith *
Jennifer Skoviera Brownlee
Beth Doughty
Sam Gray
Anna Krause
Ericka McDonald
Emma Strub
Lisa Ward

Jim Gillespie
Noah Richart

Sofia Barbarena *
Matty Glattfelder
Mary Jackson (+English Horn)
Gigi Williams

Karen Vest *
David Lewis (+ Bass Clarinet)
Felisha Reza
Danny Snyder (+ Eb Clarinet)

Conor Brace *
Paul Zapata Memorial Chair
David Cullen*
Ryan Franklin
Sharon Walker

Bill Bunker *
David Waldo *
Patrick Beck
Tim Wingfield

Kevin Kinney *

Dean Boyles *
Alex Boyles
Gary Frock
Frank Simon
Lisa Zuniga