Musicians
Maya Johnson
Jaxon Stewart
Thu Vo
Elizabeth Grice
Maya Johnson
Violin
Maya Johnson is a musicologist, violinist, violist who celebrates music as a scholar, creator, and performer. She received her M.M. in Violin Performance and Musicology as well as her B.A. in Violin Performance, Psychology, and Spanish Culture from Baylor University, and is currently a third-year PhD candidate in musicology at Florida State University. Maya’s dissertation celebrates Meredith Monk’s ideas of live performance and oral tradition in a commodified age, arguing that Monk’s work can be understood as postmodern ritual. Such
research on figures like Meredith Monk and Caroline Shaw continues to inspire and inform Maya’s own role as a performer-scholar in both early and new music.
.jpg)
Jaxon Stewart
Clarinet
Jaxon Stewart is a clarinetist and educator currently pursuing a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance at Florida State University, where he studies with Dr. Deborah Bish and Dr. Jonathan Holden. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance, cum laude, from Youngstown State University under the mentorship of Dr. Alice Wang.
​
At Florida State, Jaxon serves as Principal Clarinetist of the University Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly with the Wind Orchestra and Polymorphia: New Music Collective. He previously held positions with the Dana Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, Warren Philharmonic Orchestra, Clarion Symphony Orchestra, and the Youngstown State University Wind Ensemble. His experience spans core orchestral repertoire, contemporary works, and a wide range of chamber collaborations. As a dedicated chamber musician, Jaxon has performed in numerous mixed ensembles, and interdisciplinary new music projects, valuing the collaborative energy and creativity that chamber music invites.
In addition to his performance career, Jaxon is a NASM/NCAA-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. He brings this background into his teaching, approaching musicians as athletes whose longevity depends on sustainable technique, physical awareness, and overall wellness. His work reflects a commitment to helping artists build resilient, healthy careers alongside their artistic growth.
Thu Vo
Cello
Thu Vo, a native of Vietnam, began her musical journey at the Ho Chi Minh City Music Conservatory at the age of 12. Her passion for music and people has led her to connect with musicians from around the world in a wide range of artistic settings. She has worked with regional and international orchestras including the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Integrada de las Clínicas Instrumentales (Colombia), the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (Vietnam), as well as university and festival orchestras in the United States. Her solo and collaborative work has included public recitals and masterclasses with distinguished artists such as Lynn Harrell, Richard Weiss, Zlatomir Fung, David Geber, and Santiago Cañón-Valencia.
Her dedication to chamber music and teaching has guided her professional engagements, including serving as a Fellow at Music in Pictures (2023), appearing as a Featured Artist and Faculty member at the Institución Universitaria Bellas Artes y Ciencias de Bolívar in 2024, and performing with the Carriola Quartet (sponsored by the Sinfonia Gulf Coast) and the Burgin Quartet, an FSU fellowship ensemble. She also served as Executive Director of the 2021 University of Wyoming Cello Festival and Social Media Manager for the Carriola Quartet.
Vo’s artistic interests span from Baroque to contemporary music. She explored historically
informed performance through masterclasses at the Baroque Performance Institute in Ohio and performances with the FSU Baroque Ensemble, touring extensively with early music ensembles
in 2024. More recently, she has focused on contemporary repertoire and recording projects,
including Colombian Cello Duets (2023), a collaboration with cellist Alejandro Quiceno Garcia
and composer Deiner Hurtado from Colombia, and her latest album, Dream Sequence (2025), created with violinist Masayoshi Arakawa and featuring works by Zoltán Kodály, Erwin Schulhoff, and Isaac Villaroya. Both albums draw inspiration from the folk traditions and colors of each composer’s heritage.
Vo earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of Wyoming, her Master of Music from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music at Florida State University. Her principal teachers include Nga Tran, Beth Vanderborgh, Mike Mermagen, and Greg Sauer. A polyglot and avid reader, she also enjoys culinary exploration, fashion, and astrology.
Elizabeth Grice
Piano
Elizabeth Grice is a pianist currently working toward her Master of Music Performance at Florida State University. Elizabeth grew up in Stillwater Oklahoma studying piano with Mahlon Halleck. She achieved her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance at Oklahoma State University, studying with Heather Lanners. Elizabeth is currently a student of Stijn De Cock at FSU.
Elizabeth is an ambitious pianist and serious young musician. In addition to winning the OSU Concerto Competition in January of 2020 as a freshman, she has been quite successful in competitions around the state of Oklahoma. During high school, she was the winner of the Oklahoma City Orchestra League Meinders Piano Competition, the Oklahoma City Ladies Music Club Competition (Senior High School division), and a four-year scholarship from the Hyechka Club of Tulsa. As an undergraduate, she distinguished herself as the winner in the Freshman/Sophomore category of the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association Collegiate State
Competition (November 2020) and in March of 2021, she was named the winner of the $2000
Patti Wilson Johnson Hyechka Collegiate Scholarship. In 2022, Elizabeth participated in the
prestigious Gijon International Piano Festival and won alternate in the MTNA young artist competition. As a collaborative pianist, Elizabeth served as the pianist for the OSU wind ensemble for two years, and is currently part of the Polymorphia New Music Ensemble at FSU. Elizabeth has also performed on public guest artist masterclasses for such distinguished pianists as Anne-Marie McDermott, Eric Huebner, William Wolfram, Alexander Kobrin and Bryan Wallick.