- Instrument Second Violins
Bethany Washington performs as a member of the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra second violin section. She began playing the violin at the age of four through the Suzuki method. Bethany has completed Suzuki training and is chair of the violin department at the University of Northern Iowa Suzuki School where she teaches individual lessons and group classes.
Formerly, Bethany served as concertmaster of the Wartburg Community Orchestra and as a member of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony and the Macon Symphony Orchestra (GA). As a concerto soloist, she has performed with the Wartburg Community Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Stars of Tomorrow, Madison Symphony Orchestra Final Forte, Fox Valley Symphony Youth Soloist, and Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition Soloist.
Bethany earned a Master of Music in violin performance from University of Northern Iowa, where she held a graduate teaching assistantship, and a Bachelor of Music in violin performance with a Certificate in Music Composition from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University, where she graduated summa cum laude and received an Excellence in Music award. Her past teachers include Steve Koh, Ross Winter, Amy Schwartz-Moretti, David Kim, David Halen, Robert McDuffie, Samantha George, Benjamin Sung, and Julia Bullard (viola).
Bethany lives in Cedar Falls, IA with her husband, composer Denzel Washington, and their two boys. She joined the Des Moines Symphony in 2019.
