Brazos Starr

Brazos Starr has composed for ensembles ranging from solo and chamber to band and choir, including a solo tenor multimedia work Blue-Butterfly Day. His solo cello work, They Came as the Collage, was recorded by Voices of Change in 2020. Starr is currently studying composition at Stephen F. Austin State University under Dr. Stephen Lias. Starr's former instructors include Robert J Coe (SFASU) and Dr. Chad Robinson (private lessons). Starr has also worked for Dr. Robinson's non-profit Texas New Music Ensemble. With an A.A. in Vocal Performance, Starr enjoys performing with his wife and sings in the Stone Fort Chorale.

After having been taught by multiple teachers, namely Josh Coe, Stephen Lias, and Ben Morris, Starr has continued to write pieces of music ranging from a second string quartet, to a hand bell trio featuring Art Vavich on piano and Alice Codieck on Hand bells. 

Starr has continued to perform in the Stone Fort Chorale since graduating and has continued to pursue his masters in music composition. The newest works have been a collection of pieces written in the style of a traditional American suite for a homebrew world in the TTRPG "The Wild Sea." 

Starr has continued to apply to composition commissions around the world and in 2024 won the "Alumni of SFA composing competition." His piece Plea was not only featured but performed with a special octet of singers along Dr. Stephen Lias's winning piece. 

Hope A Starr

Composer and pianist Hope A Starr got her start in music at age nine, when her first music teacher told the class about a free notation program and she was the only one who cared enough to try it out. Her compositional work focuses on bringing joy to people and improving her craft. Starr's works range from the energetic to the moody and she has worked with traditional chamber instruments as well as handbells and actors. In 2022 Alice Codieck of the First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Nacogdoches, TX commissioned Starr to write a solo handbell and piano arrangement of a traditional hymn. The resulting work "The King Shall Come" was performed twice that same year, premiered at FUMC by Codieck and pianist Dr Andrew Par, and then performed at Starr's senior recital, this time performed by Codieck and Starr.

As a pianist, Starr has experience in solo performance, jazz band, and collaborative piano. She has helped to premiere many newly composed chamber and choir works, including as part of a Pierrot ensemble. Starr was the pianist for the Alvin Community College Jazz Band for two and a half years and her band played in both the 2017 and 2018 Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Consortium (GCIC) Jazz Festival. In her role as a collaborative pianist, Starr has played for funeral services of Catholic and Baptist churches and regularly puts on private performances with her husband, composer, and vocalist Brazos Starr, with works ranging from classical to romantic to jazz.

Starr got her BA in Composition at Stephen F Austin State University studying with composers Dr Stephen Lias and Robert J Coe and studied composition independently with Dr Chad Robinson for two years, a composer who founded the non-profit Texas New Music Ensemble (TNME), which Starr also worked for during her studies. She also got her AA in Piano Performance at Alvin Community College studying with composer and jazz pianist Dr. Stephen Termini and pianist Carol Holst.

Starr has since changed their name to Art Vavich, going back to their maiden name. Please find their music using their new name at their chosen social media.