FACULTY

HEAD DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS

Carlos Lara is in his nineteenth year as head orchestra director at Klein Collins High School. Prior to this appointment, he began as assistant orchestra director for two years. Most recently, he has joined the Opus 99 Youth Orchestra as musical director and conductor. He earned his bachelor’s of music from Sam Houston State University where he studied violin with Andrew Wilson and conducting with Carol Smith and Allen Hightower. Carlos is a native of Corpus Christi, TX, where he spent his youth learning to play the violin and making a living as a mariachi musician. Sought after as both adjudicator and clinician in the Houston area, Carlos enjoys conducting musicals, playing for his church orchestra, teaching private lessons, playing gigs for Third Floor Strings, and teaching at various orchestra camps across Texas. He resides in Spring, TX with his wife Erin, and his two children Carlos III and Gema. Carlos is happy to be a member of the community he teaches in and in his spare time, can be found playing with his kids and cheering on his favorite sports: soccer and football.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS

Karie Thornton is in her twenty-first year of music education, her twelfth year at Klein Collins. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002 where she studied viola with Roger Myers and Donald Wright. Karie discovered that she wanted to be an orchestra director when she began teaching private lessons in the UT String Project. Throughout her time at UT, she performed with the University of Texas Symphony under the baton of Timothy Muffitt, Lynn Harrell and Kevin Noe and has performed with pianist Van Cliburn. Karie has also performed with the Galveston Symphony, San Angelo Symphony and the Temple Symphony.

Karie is a 1997 graduate of Klein Oak High School. During her time at Klein Oak, the orchestra was named the 1995 TMEA High School Honor Full Orchestra. Prior to teaching at Klein Collins, Karie taught middle school orchestra for nine years, most of them at Kingwood Middle School in Humble ISD. Karie's orchestras have received numerous UIL Sweepstakes awards, as well as Best in Class Awards and Overall Outstanding Orchestra awards. She lives in Spring with her husband and their dog. When she isn't working on house projects, you can find her performing as principal violist of the Symphony North of Houston, as well as in various ensembles around the city. Karie loves being a member of the community she teaches in and also loves playing games on the Switch.

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