Academy DMSO at Home Family Concert with Blank Park Zoo

Renee Brechtel Violin & Beginning Strings Instructor

Renee Brechtel began playing violin when she was three years old, and it has since grown into a life-long passion. Growing up an Iowa native, Miss Brechtel always dreamed of being a professional musician and returning to Iowa to be a part of the growing music scene in Des Moines.  Miss Brechtel began her university career with full-ride scholarships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying with Felicia Moye. She then transferred to the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montreal, Canada to follow her teacher, Prof. Moye, again earning full-tuition scholarships and placing in top positions in the orchestra and chamber music programs. Miss Brechtel completed her studies in May 2016 with a Bachelors degree in Violin Performance. During her time at both universities, Miss Brechtel studied and performed with Felicia Moye, Axel Strauss, Richard Roberts, Philip Chiu, Parry Karp, James Smith, and many others. She has also performed with the Montreal Symphony, McGill Symphony Orchestra, McGill Opera Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Des Moines Symphony, Central Iowa Symphony, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, and Fort Dodge Symphony.

Miss Brechtel has been teaching violin since 2010 and has held private studios in both Des Moines and Montreal. Having experience teaching both children and adults, she enjoys sharing her love of music with both beginner and advanced students of all ages. Currently, Miss Brechtel runs a private studio out of her home, subs with the Des Moines Symphony, and is now teaching private and group lessons for the Des Moines Symphony Academy. She is passionate about nurturing an environment of excellence, excitement, and positivity through teaching and is eager to be a part of enriching the lives of students and parents alike through music and the violin!

Amanda Drish Manager of Beginning Strings & Community Connections

Amanda Drish is an educator, violinist, and dedicated leader in the cultivation of the beginning strings community in Des Moines, Iowa. Having performed as soloist in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vienna, and Prague during her time at Coe College, she received her Bachelor of Music in violin performance with secondary instruments in piano and voice. Her mission to explore alternative teaching techniques in classical environments reflects her multifaceted background in jazz and contemporary performance styles. Originally from Washington, IA, Amanda began her education as a violinist from the age of four at the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City, and began piano at age five.

Determined to inspire a wider audience and reach among string players, Ms. Drish’s passion for music education is showcased as she encourages accessibility for students of all backgrounds within her local community. Ms. Drish has applied her registration with the Suzuki Association of the Americas for Suzuki Book 1, and her Teach English as a Foreign Language certification from Oxford Seminars, as the primary teacher for Project Encore. Project Encore is a scholarship program, teaching violin to 40 children with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa. As the manager of Beginning Strings and Community Connections, and Director of Project Encore, she has worked with over 300 students, presenting opportunities that would otherwise not be accessible to these young musicians.

Her interdisciplinary work in continuing Iowa youth string initiatives highlights the value of collaboration to expand and grow a sustainable musical community within central Iowa.