Dr. Cristina Elena Mendoza Padilla

Dr. Cristina Mendoza Padilla age 50 passed away on Monday, February 20, 2023. Cristina was born in Lawrence, Kansas. Cristina is survived by her husband, Abbas Padilla and her parents Cruz and Margaret Mendoza.

Cristina was the Director of Bands at Lone Star College-Montgomery. She directed the Jazz Ensemble and the Symphonic Band and taught courses in Music History and American Popular Music.

Dr. Mendoza recently completed the DMA degree in Instrumental Conducting at the University of Houston. While at the University of Houston, Cristina served as a Doctoral Graduate Assistant with the University Bands. She conducted the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Chamber Winds in numerous performances, taught music and drill for The Spirit of Houston Marching Band and conducted the Cougar Brass pep bands for men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and volleyball games. In addition, she taught the High Brass and Low Brass methods courses and supervised student teachers.

Cristina received a Master of Music degree in Trombone Performance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of Notre Dame, where she was highly involved in the marching band, concert band, jazz band, and orchestra programs as an undergraduate and as a Graduate Assistant. Additionally, Cristina earned All-Level Teacher Certification in Instrumental Music at The University of Texas at Austin.

Prior to her appointment at LSC-M, Dr. Mendoza was the Assistant Director of Bands and Instructor of Brass at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. She directed the Jazz Ensemble and coached brass chamber groups and assisted with the athletic bands and concert bands. She was also the applied brass instructor and taught several music courses. Dr. Mendoza has additional teaching experience in the Brownsville, TX and Los Fresnos, TX schools, and was involved in the McAllen, TX Symphonic Band as both a trombonist and the Associate Conductor during that time.

Cristina’s conducting teachers have included David Bertman and Franz Anton Krager, and she has studied trombone with Frank Crisafulli, Donald Knaub, Mark Fisher, and Steve Wolfinbarger.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.heightsfuneralhome.com for the Mendoza and Padilla family.