Dr. Jose Flores is a great advocate of orchestral music education, an accomplished professional musician and an experienced orchestral conductor. He is the Director of Orchestral Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and he has been professor of violin and viola at the university since 2006. Dr. Flores is on the faculty of Youth Classics Master Classes in Europe, where he teaches violin and viola and coaches chamber music ensembles. He serves as permanent guest faculty for the Academia Latino Americana de Violin (Latin-American Violin Academy). As one of the pioneer teachers in El Sistema, Dr. Flores taught in a program which today transforms the lives of more than 500,000 of Venezuela’s most vulnerable children by giving them the chance to excel as young musicians.

He enjoys a performance career spanning six countries including South Korea, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Venezuela and the United States. In 2012 he appeared at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital in a performance with Dragonov and Friends. Here in Corpus Christi, he is a violinist in the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra. In addition to many other solo and recital performances, he regularly performs as a chamber musician with the Islander String Players.

Dr. Flores holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Arizona. He also holds a Master of Music and a Bachelor of Music from the Aaron Copeland School of Music in New York. The 2016-17 season marks the eighth year Dr. Flores has served as Director of the Corpus Christi Area Youth Orchestra.

artistic advisor

Dr. José Flores

Youth Orchestra Directors

Meet our

Dr. Carrie Pierce is the Associate Professor of Cello at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Equally at home in chamber, orchestral, and solo settings, she brings her innate musicianship to every genre with a warm, resonant, all-encompassing sound. With an engaging musical personality, Carrie enjoys connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Dr. Pierce is the principal cellist of the Victoria Symphony in Victoria, Texas, and assistant principal of the Corpus Christi Symphony. She is also a founding member of Drumpetello, an innovative chamber ensemble composed of cello, percussion, and trumpet. Drumpetello has received over $50,000 in grant funds and has commissioned many new works by composers around the country.

As a teacher, Dr. Pierce is adept at teaching levels of cellists. Her students have received numerous accolades and awards, including winning spots in the prestigious NYO2 festival, first chairs in the UIL All-State orchestra (Texas), and first place in the San Antonio Youth Concerto competition, which included a concerto performance with the San Antonio Symphony. She is a Suzuki certified teacher and plans on pursuing her teacher trainer certificate with future plans of opening a Suzuki center at TAMUCC. When she is not teaching or playing she is spending time with her wonderful husband Jeff and newly added member of the family, her puppy Luka.

Sinfonietta & Cello choirs conductor

dr. carrie pierce

Rai Morales joined the music faculty at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in the fall of 2014. He serves as Professor of Trombone, and Ensemble Director of the Islander Trombone Choir and Mariachi de la Isla. In addition, Rai Morales serves as Principal Trombonist with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Second Trombonist with the Mid Texas Symphony Orchestra, and Second Trombonists with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his appointment at TAMUCC, he taught at West Texas A&M University and served as the Principal Trombonist of the Amarillo Symphony and Amarillo Opera. Dr. Morales received his Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Trombone Performance from Texas A&M University-Kingsville as well as his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Trombone Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. His primary Teachers include Victor Gunnoe, Dr. Paul Hageman, and Dr. Nathaniel Brickens. 

As an active soloist, chamber performer, and clinician, Dr. Morales has won or placed in several prestigious solo trombone competitions including the International Trombone Association Frank Smith Competition. He has recently performed and taught at various locations throughout the United States, including Texas Christian University, The University of Georgia, Texas Tech University, Texas State University, The University of North Texas, Florida State University, The University of Florida, and Valdosta State University. Dr. Morales has also been invited by the Texas Music Educators Association to select the All-State Tenor & Bass Trombone Etudes on numerous occasions and has presented clinics on these etudes at the Texas Bandmaster’s Association Convention. Dr. Morales performs exclusively on Yamaha Trombones. 

Dr. Morales resides in Corpus Christi, Texas with his wife Rosie and his two children, Rai II, and Katie. 

rai Morales

Low Brass Choir Director

Dr. Brian Shelton assumed Director of Bands at Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi in Fall 2013, where he leads all aspects if the band program. His duties include directing the Symphonic Winds, Concert Band and Islander Pep Band, which plays at home basketball games throughout the year. In 2018, he was appointed Chair of the Department of Music.
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Prior to coming to TAMU-CC, Dr. Shelton was Director of Bands at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Dr. Shelton earned a bachelors degree in music education from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, a masters degree in instrumental conducting from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a doctorate in instrumental conducting from the University of Arizona. 

Dr. Shelton’s music teaching experience includes all levels of public school, from beginning band through collegiate wind ensemble. From 1998-2000, he served as band director and music teacher in Malta, Illinois, and from 2000-2002 he was director of bands at Oak Lawn Community High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Ensembles under Dr. Shelton’s direction have performed to high acclaim, including the TAMU-K Wind Symphony performance at the 2010 Texas Music Educators Association Conference. 

In addition to his collegiate work, Dr. Shelton has served as clinician for bands in TMEA regions XIII, XIV and XV, and he has presented clinics on wind band repertoire at conferences in Texas, Ohio and Illinois, including the prestigious Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. He is in demand as a clinician and conductor throughout the region. 

Dr. Shelton is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Golden Key National Honors Society, College Band Directors National Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and Texas Bandmasters Association. He currently lives in Kingsville, Texas, with his wife Claudia and his two children, Carly and Randall.

dr. brian shelton

YOUTH ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR

Contact: brian.shelton@tamucc.edu
361-825-2716

Contact: Carrie.Pierce@tamucc.edu