Shannon Houston grew up in Bay Area suburb of Antioch where he began playing violin at the age of 8. He first premiered as a soloist with the Pacific Chamber Symphony at the age of 17, and with the encouragement of his teachers, he decided to pursue a degree in music. He attended Sacramento State where he earned his Bachelor degree in music studying under violinist Anna Presler. While accomplishing his degree, he found a new love in teaching, and followed his Bachelor degree with a teaching credential at Sacramento State. Shannon has always had an interest in baroque music and began his work studying the music with Dr. Lorna Peters while finishing his Bachelor degree. After several years of study, Shannon is now putting his skills and love to work with the Sacramento Baroque Soloists, Sinfonia Spirituosa, and Capella Antiqua.

Shannon lives in the heart of Berkeley, where you can often find him exploring the city’s many offerings of food or fishing along the bay. He is a teacher with Berkeley Unified School District where he teaches students between grades 4 and 8 in string instruments, and has founded the New Apollo Youth Symphony Orchestra, a new youth symphony dedicated to underprivileged students in the Bay Area. He continues to find ways to build music into the lives of children and the community he serves every day.