Know your teachers/Conoce a tus maestros

Mr. Jackson Guillen - Coda Program Director 

Dr. Jackson Guillen is a Honduran-born violinist and violist known for his dynamic performance career, commitment to education, and advocacy for Latin American music. He has performed across the U.S., Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, and Chile, and toured Latin America with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. Orchestrally, he has held leadership roles as Principal Second Violin with the Gulf Coast Symphony, Lubbock Symphony, and Symphony of Southeast Texas, and has served as Guest Concertmaster of the Shreveport Symphony. 

Dr. Guillen is a co-founder of the Terra Nostra Ensemble, a chamber group dedicated to showcasing Latin American and Iberian composers. He has performed with Mercury Chamber Orchestra, Musiqa Houston, and was a Da Camera of Houston Young Artist Fellow for two seasons.

As an educator, Guillen is a key figure in Houston’s music community. He directs and develops curriculum for the CODA Music Program, an El Sistema-inspired initiative under the Houston Youth Symphony, where he also conducts the Debut String Orchestra. He served in the faculty at Lone Star College Tomball and Montgomery, teaching violin and viola, and conducting the Creekside Civic Chamber Orchestra.

Dr. Guillen earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Houston, studying under Dr. Kirsten Yon. He also holds a Master’s degree from Texas Tech University and a Bachelor’s from the University of Southern Mississippi. He was selected as a Future of Music Faculty Fellow by the Cleveland Institute of Music and was among the first cohort of the Global Leaders Program through the Orchestra of the Americas, participating in community-based music initiatives in Honduras, El Salvador, and Chicago.

Passionate about cultural exchange, he organizes the Encuentro de Cuerdas, an annual string festival in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He remains dedicated to bridging communities through music performance and education, especially within Latin American contexts.

Mr. Omar Escobedo - Coda Assistant Director, Jefferson and Sherman Campuses

Native to Houston, Tx., Omar began his musical journey playing violin at the age of 10 followed by cello at the age of 15. Omar went on to receive a scholarship to pursue his musical studies at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. During his undergraduate degree, Omar performed in masterclasses for Istvan Vardai, Suren Bagratuni, Escher String Quartet and the Aizuri String Quartet. He was also selected to be an orchestral fellow at the Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival in 2019. Omar received his Bachelors of Music from the University of Houston and is now an active freelancer in and around the Houston area. He has performed as a substitute in the Galveston Symphony, Texas Medical Center Orchestra, Symphony of Southeast Texas and the Victoria Symphony. 

In his free time, Omar loves reading, playing his Nintendo Switch, and spending time with his niece and nephew. 

Ms. Larysa Horichenko - Assistant Teacher, Sherman Campus 

Larysa Horichenko-Balema is a Ukrainian professional cellist who graduated from Lviv National Music Academy named by M.Lysenko in 2003 and has MD in Art. In 2006 she graduated from Khmelnytskyi Pedagogical Institute and received a Master’s degree in Pedagogy. During that period, she took part in many competitions and festivals and performed as a soloist with orchestras.

Her professional career in Ukraine has included work with many Ukrainian composers and she was the first interpreter of some music. The most well-known composers with whom she was connected are Yuri Laniuk (the cello professor), Myroslav Skoryk, Arvo Pärt, and Toto Cutugno.

During her orchestra career, she worked with European well-known conductors such as Mykola Balema, Volodymyr Sirenko, Michael Scherbakov, Woytec Mrozek, Saulus Sondeckis, Roman Rewakowicz, and others.

In Ukraine, till 2017 Lara worked as a professor of cello class, taught music theory and reading of orchestra scores, and chamber ensembles; was on a jury team of some youth competitions; and published some science articles.

Since 2018 she has performed in Europe, Turkey, and Middle Eastern countries with different chamber ensembles, groups, bands and show orchestras.

Lara moved to the USA in October 2022 because of the war in Ukraine to start a new life and help her family and people as much as she can. She continues performing and teaching.

Ms. Natalie Mann - Assistant teacher, Jefferson Campus 

Natalie Mann is originally from Oklahoma. She started playing violin at age 6. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Houston in 2015. She currently plays with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra and is an active freelance performer in the Houston area. Natalie has been teaching privately for 7+ years and operates a private lesson studio out of her home. She has been a Coda lead teacher for 1.5 years. 

Teaching Coda students is one of the highlights of her music career. Natalie and her husband have a 7 year old puppy named Halle who they enjoy training and being active with. Natalie also loves to travel and hike at National Parks, weight lifting training, bubble tea, and bike riding.