VIA Academy Team

Christopher Robinson:

Co-Artistic Director

Christopher Robinson is a violinist, educator, and visionary arts advocate whose work bridges world-class performance with transformative, equity-driven music education. A Louisville native, he has been a member of the Louisville Orchestra since 2021, performing on its Grammy Award–winning Deutsche Grammophon recording. As founder of VIA Academy, a free summer program for pre-college musicians from remote and underrepresented communities, he has helped nearly 300 students from across 37 U.S. states and eight countries access high-level musical training and mentorship.

Named a Knight Arts Champion by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for his leadership in inclusive arts initiatives, Christopher has also served on the faculties of Carnegie Hall’s NYO/NYO2, the Miami Music Project, and the Nashville and Atlanta Symphony youth development programs. A former New World Symphony fellow, he brings to his performances and teaching a deep belief in music’s power to inspire purpose, connection, and community.

Corbin Castro:

Co-Artistic Director

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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 is a coach and consultant focused on transformational leadership. She has served as an executive leader for the New World Symphony, a non-profit educational institution providing specialized training to orchestral musicians. Throughout her career she has coached high performance individuals and teams. Her consulting projects include curriculum assessment and design, financial planning, organizational effectiveness, and helping leaders and teams work together effectively.

    She has held a variety of arts administration roles and was a Paralegal for the  Attorney General of Massachusetts. She holds a BA from Amherst College and an MBA from the University of Florida.

    Cassidy resides in Miami Beach where she maintains her most cherished title, Mom, to two human children and three furry ones.

  • 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.