Wayne Brooks has served as principal violist of the Houston Symphony since 1985. Born in Los Angeles, Brooks joined the orchestra in 1977 as associate principal violist after graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music (Philadelphia).

In addition to solo appearances with the Houston Symphony, he has appeared in chamber music performances with Joseph Silverstein, Lynn Harrell, Yefim Bronfman, Garrick Ohlsson and Christoph Eschenbach. He has participated in the Houston Symphony's former INNOVA series; in performances with Da camara of Houston, Greenbriar Consortium, Mukuru "Arts for AIDS"Series; and in chamber music festivals in Craftsbury, Vermont and Lake City, Colorado.

As violist of the Houston Symphony Chamber Players, he served on  the faculty of Japan's Pacific Music Festival, toured Japan (1993-1995) and Europe (1994, 1997), recorded works of Webern and Berg, and appeared at Chicago's Ravinia Festival (1996, 1997).

Brooks also served as an associate professor of viola at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music (1985-2001), teaching both solo and orchestral repertoire. His former students perform in the New World, Charlotte, Richmond and Detroit symphonies; the Hong Kong Philharmonic; and the Chiara, Arianna and Borromeo quartets. He currently serves as an affiliate artist of viola at the University of Houston's Moores School of Music.