Violinist Grant Houston connects with listeners through performances of unbridled energy and emotional magnetism. Known for drawing in audiences with a uniquely compelling musical voice, he has been described as playing "as ethereally as mist... the audience kept so quiet that it seemed we were holding our breath throughout." (Yale Alumni Magazine). Particularly devoted to chamber music, recent appearances have included the notable festivals of Ravinia's Steans Music Institute, Yale University’s Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the Perlman Music Program, Yellow Barn Young Artists Program, The Moritzburg Festival Academy and the Music Academy of the West.
In recent seasons, Grant has appeared regularly in concerts as a soloist and chamber musician, with engagements including Mozart’s fifth concerto with the Plymouth Philharmonic, performances with the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia and Wellesley Chamber Players, and recitals with Trio Gaia— in addition to a weeklong residency at the Panama Jazz Festival and studio sessions for the trio's first release. In recent years, Trio Gaia has garnered numerous accolades, including prizes at the 2022 WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition, the 2022 Premio Trio di Trieste in Italy, the 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, the 2020 International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, and the 2019 Plowman Competition. The 2023-2024 season marks the third year of its appointment as
Trio-in-Residence in the New England Conservatory's Professional Piano Trio Program.
In addition to his career with Trio Gaia, Grant appears frequently with the conductor-less ensembles Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, A Far Cry, and Palaver Strings, and most recently as a guest principal with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Performing regularly as a sought-after freelance chamber musician, recent engagements include a performance on Boston’s First Monday at Jordan Hall series and a studio recording of Florence Price’s G Major String Quartet which has aired on WGBH public radio. Additional recent chamber music performances include Juventas New Music Ensemble's Music for Peace project, a collaboration between Castle of Our Skins and Boston Lyric Opera, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's Weekend Concert Series.
A keen proponent of contemporary music, Grant has worked with numerous composers to premiere works that span the breadth of the genre. Recent projects have included a recital focusing on solo violin works of living composers Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and Salvatore Sciarrino, an appearance on the Boston Symphony Orchestra's "What I Hear" chamber music series curated by composer Bernard Rands, and multiple performances as part of [nec]Shivaree, the avant-garde ensemble of New England Conservatory.
Grant has performed with artists such as Jeremy Denk, Paul Biss, Max Levinson, Marcus Thompson, and Melvin Chen, and counts Donald Weilerstein, Ayano Ninomiya, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, and Merry Peckham among his primary mentors. Additional coaches include Itzhak Perlman, Midori, Hilary Hahn, Rachel Barton Pine, Martin Beaver, Inon Barnatan, and Stefan Jackiw, as well as chamber music guidance from members of the Brentano, Cleveland, Cavani, Juilliard, St. Lawrence, Prazak, Mendelssohn, and Miami string quartets. He performs on a 1757 Michel’angelo Bergonzi violin on loan from a private foundation.