Miss. Renee Brechtel

BM – Schulich School of Music, McGill University

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 teaches 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!