Getting to Know Houston

Moving to a new city can be daunting. Yet the promise of “new” brings great opportunity for exploration and forging new traditions—whether its finding a new spot for lunch or bonding with a new community.

As CMA faces a historic new experience of its own—the move of its 2025 National Conference to Houston—we invited clarinetist and Houstonian (and CMA Board Member) Julian Hernandez to give us the ultimate tour. Below, Hernandez shares why he fell in love with Houston and what has kept him there for nearly 10 years.

When and how did you wind up in Houston? What about it made you want to stay and grow your roots?  

In 2015, I was working on a DMA at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and after my first year, I learned that WindSync, one of this year’s ensembles-in-residence at the CMA 2025 National Conference, was holding auditions for the clarinet position. I threw my hat in the ring. They liked my playing and they liked me as a person—and I moved to Houston full time to join the ensemble. I completed by undergrad degree at Baylor University in Texas, so I knew a lot of band directors in the area who could help set me up with teaching opportunities. That, coupled with WindSync’s full time touring schedule, felt like a good starting point to let my music career flourish.

In addition to your busy schedule as a freelance musician, you also are a full-time realtor in Houston. I can imagine you have encountered folks, even in our field, who aren’t aware of Houston’s arts and culture scene. What are the top misconceptions?  

People are quite surprised with the level of freelancing in Houston. We have amazing music programs producing top-notch musicians—such as the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and University of Houston Moore’s School of Music. Plus, there is a huge amount of talent coming out of Houston Community College, Texas Southern University, St. Thomas Lone Star…the list goes on and on.  

Houston is also such a hub for musicians to come play and teach. I don’t think people realize just how substantial and healthy the scene is here in Houston. I think people think that Houston is mainly just the Houston Symphony, and that’s not the case. Musicians come for the schools, graduate, and stay in town to teach and gig. There are tons of playing opportunities in town, and the ensembles’ rosters are filled with amazing musicians. To name a few, we have WindSync; Monarch Chamber Players; Loop38; Aperio, Music of the Americas; the Houston Latin American Philharmonic Orchestra; the Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra (ECHO); Opera in the Heights; Apollo Chamber Players; ROCO—there’s even an orchestra for medical professionals! And these are just off the top of my head. The list truly goes on and on.

During your near-decade in Houston, how have you seen the city’s music scene grow and evolve?

Mostly I’ve noticed a substantial increase in the level of freelancing, especially since COVID, when we saw a huge influx of new Houston residents. Yet a lot of those newbies were actually people who were born and raised in Houston, who came back and wanted to establish a new home base here–they started working, gigging, teaching, and performing. I can name at least ten people who were from Houston and since have moved back and are thriving in the performing arts scene.  

In a discussion CMA hosted in Houston back in May, you and other members of the panel talked about how collaboration and community are two key pillars in Houston. Can you expand on that concept here? 

I’ve noticed that in other major cities, you have to be in the know with specific groups to know, “Oh, this group is playing then.” In Houston, there is something going on every day of the week. Yet Houston music organizations don’t only share what they have going on. There’s a dedication to highlight others! For instance, if you went to see the Kinetic String Ensemble, a phenomenal string group, the programs contains an insert called the Houston Music Card, which includes a calendar of all the other music organizations in town—when and where they’re playing, their website link, etc. So you can literally just put that on your fridge, and every day of the week you can say, “Monday I’m going to see Kinetic, Tuesday I’m going to see Monarch, and Wednesday,” and so on and so forth. It’s that collaborative, community aspect that I love, and it’s something I haven’t found anywhere else. 

If people aren’t Texas natives and are planning their trip to Houston for our 2025 National Conference, what are some spots you recommend visiting? 

We could chat for hours only about just the food scene in Houston! For now, I’ll just say that if you’re having a craving of any type of food, Houston has you covered. I mean, it wasn’t until I moved here that I even I knew that if you want Indian food, you have to specify if you want North Indian or South Indian food.

Say you’re at the conference and craving breakfast tacos, check out Brothers Taco House, Laredo Taqueria, Chilosos Taco House and Emma’s Kitchen—these places will have lines out the door. That’s how you know they’re good. A lot of these places are hole-in-the-wall-esque, but still phenomenal. Want an authentic Mexican bakery? Try El Bolillo Bakery, which is across from a huge farmer’s market on the north side. It’s phenomenal.  

Another reason people like to visit Texas, obviously, is for the barbecue. You have the Pit Room, Brookstreet Barbecue, and Goode Company BBQ. I’ve tried all of them, and they are outstanding. On Sunday morning, Hugo’s that has the best all-you-can-eat buffet. It’s super clean, elegant—kind of pricey—but all-you-can-eat. Hugo’s even has their own pastry chef for the dessert table. And they have Mariachi live music, which is incredible. 

Houston does have some pretty amazing museums and they’re all sort of in one neighborhood, The Museum District. The Museum of Fine Arts is huge, as is the Museum of Natural Sciences. Aside from those, take a morning jog through one of our most beloved parks: Memorial Park. It has several miles of paved trails. You can get lost in the arboretum, and they just opened a new running track and a new section called the Eastern Glades. Or check out Buffalo Bayou Park, which runs alongside the bayou and has beautiful views of downtown. And, of course, go see one of the million music ensembles I mentioned earlier! 

What are you most looking forward to at the 2025 CMA National Conference?  

Personally, I am most excited about seeing all of the Houston ensembles that I’ve grown to love who are showcasing. It’s rare to get to see them all in one space, so I will try to catch as many as possible. I’m also excited to attend as many sessions as possible. Overall though, I’m thrilled CMA is on a new journey, and I can wholeheartedly guarantee that attendees will be so impressed with all that Houston has to offer.

Interested in attending this year’s conference? Click here to start planning your conference experience today!