Austin Rice began his violin studies at the age of 11 in the Blue Valley Public School System in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. Alongside his highly valued foundation in the public school system, he pursued advanced training through esteemed programs including the Youth Symphony of Kansas City, the Heartland Chamber Music Program, and the Stringendo Chamber Music Program. Throughout his formative years, he consistently earned distinguished placements in highly competitive regional and state competitions.

A prominent performer in the Oklahoma City area, Mr. Rice has appeared with distinguished ensembles such as the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Oklahoma Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Oklahoma Composer’s Orchestra, and the Oklahoma Film Chamber Orchestra—where he has been credited on recordings for albums by Celtic Woman and the film Te Ata. He has also served as a Principal Violinist with the Painted Sky Opera Orchestra, and has performed with the Lawton Philharmonic, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, and the Fort Smith Symphony.

Deeply committed to music education, Mr. Rice has taught string pedagogy in the Oklahoma City area for over a decade. He has served as Lead Violin Teacher on the faculty of El Sistema Oklahoma and has served in string programs in Putnam City Public Schools and Norman Public Schools. He currently serves as an Associate Orchestra Director in Edmond Public Schools. In addition, Mr. Rice maintains a thriving private studio, where his students have earned distinguished placements in auditioned ensembles such as the North Central (OK) Honor Orchestra and the Oklahoma Music Educators Association All-State Honor Orchestra. His students regularly receive honorable placements and Superior ratings in Solo and Small Ensemble competitions, with many going on to earn placements and scholarships in distinguished academic programs across the country.

Mr. Rice studied Violin Performance at Oklahoma City University, where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree summa cum laude and his Master’s Degree with High Honors. During his time at OkCU, he performed in masterclasses for world-renowned violinists including Augustin Hadelich, Philippe Quint, Henning Vater, Grigory Kalinofsky, and Jassen Todorov. Demonstrating exceptional leadership, Mr. Rice held numerous principal roles, including Concertmaster, Assistant Concertmaster, Principal, and Assistant Principal Second Violinist in both the OkCU Symphony Orchestra and the OkCU Opera/Musical Theater Company Pit Orchestra.

Mr. Rice performs on an 1871 Herman Macklett violin from Chicago.