Bethany Raynes is a San Antonio native in her 6th year of public school teaching. Prior to her time in Alamo Heights, she served as the Middle School Orchestra Director at Saint Mary’s Hall, and built a new orchestra program from the ground up at Japhet Academy in San Antonio ISD. From 2014-2018 Ms. Raynes also served as a violin/viola instructor at Texas Lutheran University and conducted the University’s CMA Intermediate Youth Orchestra, which offers free, high-quality instruction to elementary students of the Seguin/New Braunfels area who otherwise would have no access to string education. She has also maintained a private violin and viola studio from her home since 2012. Students of Ms. Raynes have successfully competed at UIL Concert & Sight Reading with Superior ratings, Solo & Ensemble contest, as well as Region and All State Auditions.

 

Ms. Raynes holds an M.M. in Violin Performance from the University of Texas at San Antonio as well as a B.M. in Violin Performance from Texas State University, where she studied with Dr. Stephanie Westney and Dr. Lynn Ledbetter, respectively. She received her Texas Educator Certificate in 2018. Additionally, Ms. Raynes is a Suzuki registered teacher, trained in both individual and group pedagogy, under the direction of renowned string educators, Dr. Laurie Scott and Winifred Crock.

 

Throughout her career, Ms. Raynes has performed in solo and orchestral settings in Austria, Germany, Italy, and the United States (White House). Currently, Ms. Raynes is an active performer in San Antonio and the surrounding area, frequently performing as a violinist with the San Antonio Philharmonic, the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony, and the Mid-Texas Symphony.

 

When not performing or teaching, Ms. Raynes’ enjoys cooking, spending time with her nieces and nephew, and exercising.