Austin Rice began his studies on the violin at the age of 11 in the Blue Valley Public School System in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. In addition to his highly valued training in the public school system, he gained additional rigorous training in esteemed programs such as the Youth Symphony of Kansas City, The Heartland Chamber Music program and the Stringendo Chamber Music Program. During his training, he participated and continuously placed honorably in highly competitive regional and state competitions. 

As a notable performer in the Oklahoma City area, he has performed in distinguished ensembles such as the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Oklahoma Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Oklahoma Composer’s Orchestra, the Tulsa Opera and the Painted Sky Opera Company Pit Orchestra as a Principal Violinist, as well as the Lawton Philharmonic, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith Symphony. 

Mr. Rice has a passion for education and has taught string pedagogy in the Oklahoma City area for over ten years. Along with maintaining a private studio, Mr. Rice has served as Lead Violin Teacher on the faculty of El Sistema Oklahoma, has served in string programs in Putnam City Public Schools and Norman Public Schools and currently serves as an Associate Orchestra Director in Edmond Public Schools. 

Mr. Rice studied Violin Performance at Oklahoma City University where he completed his Bachelor's Degree summa cum laude and Master's Degree with High Honors. While at OkCU, Mr. Rice performed in Masterclasses for world class violinists such as Augustin Hadelich, Philippe Quint, Henning Vater, Grigory Kalinofsky, and Jassen Todorov. Establishing himself as a foremost leader, Mr. Rice served in many leadership positions such as Concertmaster, Assistant Concertmaster, Principal, and Assistant Principal Second Violinist in the OkCU Symphony Orchestra and the OkCU Opera/Musical Theater Company Pit Orchestra.