VIA Academy Team

Christopher Robinson:

Co-Artistic Director

From Louisville, Kentucky, Christopher Robinson is a violinist, educator and Founder of VIA Academy. As a violinist, Christopher is a recent alumnus of the New World Symphony where he regularly served as principal and concertmaster. He has performed with the Pittsburgh, Louisville, Nashville and Jacksonville Symphonies as well as chamber collaborations with Rohan de Silva, Sandra Rivers, and members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Christopher is also a passionate educator and mentor for young musicians all across the US. In 2020, Christopher founded VIA Academy, a free summer music program for aspiring young musicians from remote and underrepresented communities in classical music. VIA Academy’s curriculum focuses on mentoring students towards the many ways to a passion-filled career in music and has reached nearly 300 students from 37 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia, Chile, and Serbia. Christopher has also taught in programs at Carnegie Hall’s NYO/NYO2 Summer Programs, Miami Music Project, Nashville Symphony’s Accelerando Program, Atlanta Symphony’s Talent Development Program, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music's Pre-College Department, and the Iberacademy in Medellín, Colombia. For more information, visit Christopher’s website here.

Corbin Castro:

Co-Artistic Director

179a4217.JPG

Corbin Castro is a Horn Fellow Alum of the New World Symphony. He has performed as an extra/substitute horn with the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, and the Richmond Symphony. He has had the pleasure of spending his summers making music with the Verbier Festival in southern Switzerland, Tanglewood Music Center in the Berkshires and the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. As a strong advocate for musical education, he is Co-Artistic Director of Virtual Inclusion Artists, an online summer music academy that aims to serve young musicians who might not otherwise have access to quality music education. Corbin received his master’s degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with William VerMeulen and a bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music studying with Michelle Baker. Outside of horn playing, he enjoys experiencing new cultures through international travel and backpacking in national parks. 

Board of Directors

  • Cassidy Fitzpatrick Carlson

    PRESIDENT

    Cassidy Carlson, Senior Vice President for Musician Advancement and Dean at the New World Symphony, develops, implements, and evaluates the New World Symphony’s Fellowship curriculum. She is responsible for instrumental training, community engagement, leadership and entrepreneurship programs, and the Fellowship experience. Additionally, she oversees the admissions and alumni functions of NWS. Ms. Carlson joined NWS in 2013 as Assistant to the Dean and Community Engagement Manager and served as Director of Community Engagement from 2014 to 2018, and the Vice President for Musician Advancement from 2018 to 2020.  Previously, she was the Artistic Administrator for Florida Grand Opera and worked as an associate in the Artistic and Development departments at Boston Lyric Opera. She holds an undergraduate degree in History and Music from Amherst College and an MBA from the University of Florida. She resides in Miami Beach where she maintains her most cherished title - Mom.

  • Lisa Husseini

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Lisa Husseini is a professional leadership and executive coach based out of Massachusetts.

    She has coached a wide range of people including Fortune 500 executives, industry-leading entrepreneurs, award-winning creatives, and sought after coaches. Her clients have been Pulitzer Prize honorees, appeared on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, held key positions in presidential campaigns, won and been nominated for Grammys, Emmys, and Oscars, and more. She currently serves as a coaching and leadership faculty member at the New World Symphony and CFJ Coaching Success School.

    Before launching her coaching practice, Lisa’s professional experience included serving as CEO of a boutique consulting firm, working for years in nonprofit management, and many moons ago, freelancing as a classical flutist. She has degrees from the University of Hartford and New England Conservatory, with additional studies at Harvard University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Lisa was named a Miami Leader in 2016 and continues to serve on numerous committees and boards of nonprofit organizations across the United States.

    For more information about Lisa, visit www.lisahusseini.com.

  • Miles Devon Skeens

    SECRETARY

    Miles Devon Skeens is a Directing Attorney at the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky. Devon is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University, The Johns Hopkins University, and the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. He was a member of Teach for America and taught high school in Baltimore City, Maryland before becoming a lawyer. During law school, Devon was a published Member of the University of Louisville Law Review and a Member of the Ackerson Law Clinic assisting victims of domestic violence. He was one of three students selected in a nationwide search for the coveted Summer Associate position at the New York City Office of the Appellate Defender, where he argued in front of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division. After law school, Devon developed extensive experience in family law, education law, general civil litigation, and appellate advocacy--both as a Staff Attorney with the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky from 2018-2020 and as a private practitioner from 2020-2023. He has continued to teach as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville and has argued before the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the Kentucky Supreme Court.