Musical Memories - Chelsea de Souza

Indian pianist Chelsea de Souza is a Steinway Young Artist internationally acclaimed for her dynamic artistry and thought-provoking recital programming. A captivating performer with “an alluring stage presence” (The Hindu), the four-time All-India Piano Competition winner brings together a diverse range of musical influences from Western and Indian classical to jazz in her versatile, genre-defying artistry. Recent highlights include the world premiere of “Do You Remember”, a new piano concerto by Nicky Sohn with Houston’s new music collective Loop38; a live improvisation recital-experiment with the UH IUCRC BRAIN Center; and an artist residency on the Performance Today Rhone Valley cruise with American Public Media host Fred Child.

Chelsea is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Houston Music Festival, which reimagines chamber music through interdisciplinary collaborations. She has performed at La Jolla Summerfest and Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, for the DACAMERA Chamber Music and Jazz Series in Houston, and with award-winning groups Alarm Will Sound and ROCO. Her recital project The Silk Road: Musical Exchange between East and West—praised on tour across the U.S. and India—intertwines performance and storytelling to illuminate cultural identity and migration. 

Chelsea is currently Mitchell Center Scholar in Residence at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, teaching classes in improvisation and music of the Indian diaspora, and curating interdisciplinary performances.